CDC raises cruise ship hantavirus to Level 3 as Spain evacuates 140-plus

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has classified a deadly hantavirus outbreak aboard a Dutch cruise ship as a Level 3 emergency — its highest travel health alert — as Spain prepares to evacuate more than 140 passengers and crew to Tenerife, including 17 American citizens.

A Level 3 CDC designation — reported by ABC7 Los Angeles — recommends all Americans avoid nonessential travel to affected areas, a direct public health concern for Orange County residents who cruise internationally. Hantavirus has no approved vaccine and no specific treatment, making early awareness critical.

The outbreak began aboard the MV Hondius, a Dutch-flagged expedition vessel, and has killed at least three people. The infection was officially confirmed May 2, according to ABC7 Los Angeles, which cited reporting from The Associated Press.

Spain's head of emergency services, Virginia Barcones, said Thursday that evacuees arriving in Tenerife "will arrive at a completely isolated, cordoned-off area," ABC7 Los Angeles reported. The more than 140 passengers and crew heading to the Canary Islands will be received at a fully secured facility away from the general public.

An early lapse in contact tracing has complicated the international response. More than 22 individuals disembarked from the vessel April 24 — before proper protocols were in place — and dispersed to more than 12 countries, ABC7 Los Angeles reported. None of the passengers and crew remaining aboard the ship are currently showing symptoms, according to the same report.

The World Health Organization assessed the risk to the general public as low, ABC7 Los Angeles noted. Hantavirus spreads primarily through inhaling contaminated rodent droppings and is not easily transmitted person to person; the incubation period ranges from one to eight weeks after exposure.

The CDC activated its Emergency Operations Centers after issuing the Level 3 designation. Seventeen American citizens are confirmed to be among those being evacuated, alongside approximately 24 British nationals. The governments of the United States, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands are jointly coordinating the large-scale airlift, according to ABC7 Los Angeles.

Orange County residents who have recently returned from international cruises in southern ocean regions and are experiencing fever, fatigue or respiratory symptoms should contact a physician promptly and disclose any potential exposure to rodent habitats — the CDC and public health officials say monitoring for symptoms for up to eight weeks after potential exposure is essential.