(Image source from: Thehansindia.com)

Two Indian citizens on the luxury cruise ship MV Hondius, which encountered a dangerous type of hantavirus, are said to be “healthy and showing no symptoms,” as confirmed by the Indian embassy in Madrid after the ship reached the Canary Islands in Spain. The ship, with a total of 150 passengers and crew, docked at Tenerife early Sunday after coming from Cape Verde, where three individuals infected with the virus had been taken to Europe earlier that week. This happened following concerns over cases associated with the Andes strain of hantavirus. “Today, the Dutch-flagged MV Hondius, carrying about 150 people including 2 Indian citizens, docked in Spain. Due to the hantavirus outbreak, the ship anchored near the Canary Islands of Spain. The guests on board left the ship following the protocol set by the WHO and Spanish officials," stated the Indian embassy.

“The two Indian citizens are healthy and show no symptoms. As reported by the Spanish National Center for Emergency Monitoring and Coordination (CENEM), the two Indian nationals, who were part of the crew, have been taken to the Netherlands where they will be kept in quarantine following health safety rules," it mentioned. The Indian Ambassador to Spain, Jayant N Khobragade, is maintaining close communication with Spanish officials and the two Indians to ensure their health and safety. Passengers on the Dutch-flagged MV Hondius began returning home in carefully organized stages after the outbreak raised international alarm. The World Health Organization (WHO) noted that eight individuals became ill on the ship, including three who died – a Dutch couple and a German individual. Passengers dressed in protective medical gear were seen leaving the ship onto smaller boats before reaching the port of Granadilla in Tenerife. They were then moved in sealed buses with police protection to Tenerife South airport, where they received additional safety measures before boarding flights back home.

Many countries are preparing to bring back their citizens from the ship, with the WHO informing member states with nationals about managing the evacuation process and recommending that passengers be monitored closely for 42 days from the last time they were exposed. Planes carrying Spanish and French nationals landed in Madrid and Paris on Sunday afternoon, where the passengers were taken to a hospital, as reported by the governments of both countries. According to French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu, one of the five French passengers showed symptoms during the flight back. Flights to Canada, the Netherlands, Turkey, the UK, Ireland, and the United States were planned to leave by Sunday. Upon arrival, the passengers will be tested and then either taken to local hospitals or quarantine centers or sent home for isolation.

Spanish Health Minister Monica Garcia stated that the process of removing most of the nearly 150 passengers and crew from the ship will keep going until the final flight back to Australia on Monday. In a different event, British military members executed a dangerous operation from the air to provide critical medical aid to someone suspected of having hantavirus on Tristan da Cunha, the furthest British overseas territory. Hantaviruses are a group of viruses carried by rodents that can lead to serious health issues. People usually get infected by coming into contact with the urine, droppings, or saliva of sick rodents or by touching contaminated areas, which often happens while cleaning in places with rodent problems or when engaging in outdoor activities in rural settings like forests, fields, or farms.