Spain has updated its quarantine rules for people exposed to hantavirus during the outbreak linked to the cruise ship MV Hondius. Under a new protocol approved by the Public Health Commission, contacts who remain asymptomatic and test negative via PCR will be allowed to leave hospital after 28 days and complete the remaining 14 days of isolation at home — provided they can guarantee safe conditions for isolation and health monitoring.
The decision applies to the 15 identified contacts currently under observation in Spain. During the home quarantine phase, public health staff will conduct daily checks to ensure compliance and monitor for any symptoms. The only confirmed positive case in the country remains in the High-Level Isolation and Treatment Unit (UATAN) at Madrid's Gómez Ulla Hospital until clinical recovery.
WHO Reports 12 Cases, No New Deaths
The World Health Organization confirmed on Friday a twelfth case of hantavirus linked to the MV Hondius: a crew member who disembarked in Tenerife and was repatriated to the Netherlands. The individual has been in isolation since arrival. According to WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, no new deaths have been recorded in 20 days. The death toll remains at three, all of which occurred before 2 May, when the outbreak was first reported to the agency.
“We continue to urge the affected countries to monitor all passengers closely for the remainder of the quarantine period,” Tedros said during a press conference. He also noted that more than 600 possible contacts across 30 countries are still being followed, though “a small number of high-risk contacts” have yet to be traced.
The WHO chief thanked the countries that have cooperated in the response, including Argentina, Cabo Verde, Chile, the Netherlands, South Africa, Spain and the United Kingdom. The UK has taken extraordinary measures, including air-dropping medics to Tristan da Cunha over hantavirus concerns.
Quarantine Conditions and Transport
The new Spanish protocol specifies that transfer from hospital to home must be carried out by standard medical transport, avoiding public transport. Both the contact and the driver must wear FFP2 masks and maintain strict hand hygiene. The 42-day quarantine period reflects the maximum incubation period for hantavirus, which can cause severe respiratory illness.
In Spain, 14 passengers from the MV Hondius were admitted to Gómez Ulla Hospital, with one testing positive. Two women from Alicante and Barcelona who shared a flight with a person who later died are also among the contacts. Earlier, thirteen contacts at the Madrid hospital were allowed visits under controlled conditions.
The outbreak has prompted heightened vigilance across Europe. Portugal's first suspected case tested negative, according to the country's Directorate-General of Health. Meanwhile, residents in Tenerife, where the ship docked, have remained calm despite the health scare.
The MV Hondius, operated by Oceanwide Expeditions, had been on a voyage from Argentina to the Netherlands when the outbreak emerged. Three people were evacuated in Cape Verde with suspected hantavirus earlier in the crisis. The WHO continues to coordinate the international response, urging all affected countries to maintain strict monitoring until the quarantine period ends.
