Hantavirus Outbreak-Linked Cruise Ship Heading to Spain’s Canary Islands

The Spanish government said the Canary Islands were the closest destination with the capacity to receive the ship.

The cruise ship MV Hondius stationary off the port of Praia, the capital of Cape Verde, on May 5, 2026. AFP via Getty Images

The Spanish Health Ministry said on May 5 that it will receive the MV Hondius, a Dutch-flagged cruise ship that has been at the center of a suspected hantavirus outbreak in the Canary Islands.

The ship has remained off the coast of Cape Verde in West Africa after a suspected hantavirus outbreak was detected. Seven people fell ill, with three of them dying, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).