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.

A third case of hantavirus infection has been identified among passengers and crew of the cruise ship MV Hondius. Two British nationals are hospitalized, and the vessel is arriving in the Canary Islands under special health precautions as authorities investigate the outbreak.