WHO Director Praises Compassionate Cruise Ship Disembarkation Response to Hantavirus Outbreak

A cruise ship outbreak of hantavirus affecting 150 passengers from 23 countries resulted in 11 cases (9 confirmed, 2 probable) with 3 deaths. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus defended the decision to disembark passengers in Tenerife, Spain, rather than maintain full shipboard quarantine, citing humanitarian concerns and the psychological toll on passengers. He praised Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and the ship's captain for their compassionate handling. Cases have been reported among evacuees in France (woman in intensive care), the United States (1 asymptomatic, 1 mild), United Kingdom, Netherlands, and Tristan da Cunha. WHO noted no evidence of wider outbreak yet but acknowledged the virus's long incubation period means additional cases may emerge in subsequent weeks.