All passengers on hantavirus-hit ship considered high-risk contacts, EU health agency says

All passengers on the cruise ship hit by a deadly hantavirus outbreak are considered high-risk contacts as ​a precautionary measure, Europe’s public health agency said ‌ahead of the ship’s expected anchoring on Sunday off the Spanish island of Tenerife.

Passengers without symptoms will be repatriated for ​self-quarantine via specially arranged transport, not regular commercial ​flights, by their respective countries, the European Centre ⁠for Disease Prevention and Control said on Saturday ​as part of its rapid scientific advice.

Countries were preparing to evacuate their citizens from the MV Hondius around 0630-0700 GMT (11:30am-12pm PKT). Eight people have fallen ill, including three who died — a Dutch ​couple and a German national — the World Health Organisation ​said on Friday.

Six of the eight are confirmed to have contracted ‌the ⁠virus, with another two suspected cases, the WHO has said.

Although at disembarkation, passengers will be considered high-risk, not all will necessarily be considered high-risk upon return ​to their home ​countries, the ⁠ECDC said.

The agency urged symptomatic passengers to be prioritised for medical assessment and testing ​on arrival, adding they may isolate in ​Tenerife ⁠or be medically evacuated home, depending on their condition.

Usually, the virus is spread by rodents, but can, in ⁠rare ​cases, be transmitted person to person. ​Health authorities have said the risk of the virus spreading is low.

Earlier on Friday, the WHO said that the hantavirus outbreak posed a minimal risk to the general public.

“This is a dangerous virus, but only to the person who’s really infected, and the risk to the general population remains absolutely low,” WHO spokesman Christian Lindmeier told reporters.