‘They Are Healthy and Asymptomatic’: Indian Embassy in Madrid Says 2 Indians on Hantavirus-Hit MV Hondius Ship Evacuated to Netherlands
In a statement from Madrid, the Indian Embassy confirmed that two Indian crew members on the hantavirus-hit MV Hondius are healthy and asymptomatic. After the ship docked in the Canary Islands on May 10, the pair moved to the Netherlands for quarantine. Officials stressed the risk remains low with no threat to India's public health.
The Indian government has confirmed that two Indian crew members aboard the Dutch-flagged MV Hondius remain healthy and asymptomatic following a hantavirus outbreak on the vessel. The ship arrived off Spain's Canary Islands on May 10, where passengers and crew began disembarking under international health protocols. The MV Hondius, operated by Oceanwide Expeditions, departed Ushuaia, Argentina, on April 1, for a 33-day expedition. It carried around 150 people at the time of the reported issues.
A cluster of severe respiratory illnesses emerged, linked to hantavirus, specifically the Andes strain, which is capable of limited human-to-human transmission. Health authorities have reported multiple confirmed cases, with three deaths associated with the outbreak. The vessel was monitored closely and anchored off Cape Verde before proceeding toward Spain. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has described the public health risk as low and stated it does not signal the start of a broader pandemic. Hantavirus Outbreak on Cruise Ship: Hantavirus-Hit MV Hondius Reaches Spain’s Tenerife As WHO Oversees Passenger Evacuation (See Pics).
Statement on Two Indian Nationals Onboard the MV Hondius Vessel
Press Release on 2 Indian nationals onboard the MV Hondius vessel
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Comunicado de prensa sobre dos ciudadanos indios a bordo del buque MV Hondius@MEAIndia @IndianDiplomacy @PIB_India @AmbSibiGeorge pic.twitter.com/hbfdCZTmW5
— India in Spain (@IndiainSpain) May 10, 2026
India's Response and Press Release
In its press release issued on May 10, the Embassy of India in Madrid stated that the two Indian nationals, who were part of the crew, are healthy and asymptomatic. "The Dutch-flagged vessel MV Hondius with around 150 individuals including 02 Indian nationals arrived in Spain today," the release said. "In the context of the Hantavirus outbreak, the ship anchored off the coast of Canary Islands of Spain. The passengers onboard disembarked from the ship, in accordance with the protocol established by WHO and Spanish authorities", the statement read.
The Indian Embassy in Madrid further said that the two Indians were evacuated to the Netherlands for quarantine as per relevant health safety protocols, according to information from Spain's National Centre for Emergency Monitoring and Coordination (CENEM). The Indian Ambassador is in close contact with Spanish authorities and the nationals, monitoring their well-being.
India's Union Health Ministry has been tracking the situation through the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP), and in coordination with the WHO. Officials have emphasised that the two individuals were under observation and asymptomatic, with no immediate public health threat to India identified. Disembarkation from the MV Hondius proceeded in controlled groups under biosecurity measures in Tenerife. Hantavirus Outbreak on Cruise Ship: MV Hondius Arrives at Tenerife in Spain’s Canary Islands.
Indian authorities continue to assess and prepare precautionary measures domestically, though experts note hantavirus does not spread easily between humans in most strains. The Ministry and ICMR have reiterated that the cases appear isolated, with ongoing surveillance in place. No suspected infections among the Indian nationals have been reported.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 10, 2026 10:17 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
