A cruise ship bound for Tenerife carrying around 150 people has been struck by a hantavirus outbreak that has killed three passengers—two Dutch and one German—with confirmed cases of the human-transmissible Andes virus strain. Multiple European nations are organizing evacuation flights, the WHO chief has deployed to oversee safe disembarkation, and Spanish authorities are investigating potential secondary cases among airline staff and passengers who had contact with infected individuals.

Five European nations plus the EU, US, and UK have mobilized planes to repatriate nationals from a cruise ship struck by an Andes virus outbreak. As of Friday, 8 cases including 3 deaths have been confirmed, with six cases definitively identified as Andes virus and four patients hospitalized. One previously suspected case has tested negative and been reclassified. Authorities have identified and begun monitoring 75 secondary contacts from a flight connecting South Africa to St. Helena.