A cruise ship with around 150 people on board is heading to Tenerife in Spain’s Canary Islands following an outbreak of Andes hantavirus that has killed three passengers: a Dutch couple and a German national.Health officials have identified eight suspected cases, with three confirmed by laboratory tests. The virus, which can spread person-to-person through prolonged close contact, is rarely transmitted that way. The World Health Organization has assessed the risk to the general public as low.Spanish authorities are preparing to repatriate healthy non-Spanish passengers while placing 14 Spanish nationals in quarantine in Madrid. Local concerns have grown over potential impacts on tourism, including fears of broader restrictions reminiscent of the COVID-19 era.The ship, MV Hondius, continues its approach as officials monitor the situation.
