WHO Chief Addresses Concerns Over Hantavirus Ship Arrival in Tenerife
The Director General of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, is in Tenerife to oversee the safe evacuation of nearly 150 passengers from the MV Hondius, a cruise ship affected by a hantavirus outbreak. The ship is scheduled to arrive at Tenerife's Granadilla port early Sunday morning. The outbreak, which has resulted in three deaths, is caused by the hantavirus, typically spread through contact with rodent droppings. Tedros reassured residents that the situation is not akin to COVID-19, emphasizing that the public health risk remains low. Spanish authorities have prepared a detailed plan for the ship's arrival, ensuring passengers are transported in sealed vehicles and kept away from residential areas before being repatriated. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is sending epidemiologists to assess the risk for American passengers, who will be transported back to the U.S. in a biocontainment unit. 
