Spain allows hantavirus-hit cruise ship to dock in Canary Islands

Spain has permitted the MV Hondius, a luxury cruise ship with hantavirus cases and three deaths, to dock in the Canary Islands. The decision, coordinated with the WHO and the EU, was announced by the Spanish Health Ministry late Tuesday. The ship, carrying about 150 passengers and crew, departed from southern Argentina and has been anchored off Cabo Verde. The ECDC is assessing which individuals need urgent evacuation from Cabo Verde, while remaining passengers and crew will travel to the Canary Islands, expected to arrive in three to four days. The WHO confirmed Cabo Verde could not handle the operation itself. Health authorities are investigating possible human-to-human transmission of hantavirus on board.