The leader of the Canary Islands government has refused to allow a cruise ship with a confirmed hantavirus outbreak on board to dock at any port in the archipelago, defying a decision by Spain’s health ministry on the grounds of public safety.
Clavijo blocks docking despite Madrid’s approval
The president of the Canary Islands government, Fernando Clavijo, said on Wednesday that he could not, for safety reasons, allow the cruise liner MV Hondius – which has a hantavirus outbreak on board – to moor at any port in the Canary Islands, despite a ruling by the Spanish health ministry.
“I cannot allow it to come to the Canary Islands,” Clavijo said, referring to the vessel. According to him, there are no compelling grounds for directing the ship to the islands. Moreover, he argued, there is insufficient information to guarantee the safety of local residents.
Clavijo has requested an urgent meeting with the Spanish prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, to discuss the matter.
WHO intervenes after Cape Verde refuses ship
Earlier, Cape Verde – the vessel’s original destination – refused to take the passengers. The World Health Organisation (WHO) then asked Spain to accept the MV Hondius, arguing that the Canary Islands were the nearest location with the necessary facilities to handle the situation.
Spain’s health ministry agreed to the request, stating that the ship would arrive in the Canary Islands within three to four days.
Swiss authorities have reported a confirmed case of hantavirus in the country. The patient, a man whose name has not been released, was a passenger on the MV Hondius and disembarked in South Africa at the end of April.
Infected passengers evacuated to the Netherlands
South African officials said that two people who left the ship had been infected with the Andes strain of hantavirus – the only strain known to be transmissible from person to person, the country’s health ministry stressed. The WHO said that three infected passengers had already been evacuated from the vessel and were being sent to the Netherlands for treatment.
Several varieties of hantavirus exist. Infection can lead to haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome or hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome, both of which are considered dangerous. No vaccine is currently available. Most human infections are caused by contact with rodents.
