The head of the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday a total of 11 cases have been identified so far following a hantavirus outbreak aboard the cruise ship Hondius, including three deaths.
WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in Madrid that nine people had tested positive for the virus, while two additional cases were considered probable infections.
All affected individuals have been isolated and are being closely monitored to reduce the risk of further transmission, Tedros said, adding that the likelihood of a broader international spread remains "low."
However, he noted that additional cases could be identified in the coming weeks given the long incubation period of the virus.
"Each of the countries to which the passengers have been repatriated is responsible for monitoring the health of those passengers," he said at the press conference alongside Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez.
The WHO recommends strict observation — either at home or in designated facilities — until June 21. The UN health agency has issued guidelines for managing evacuated passengers, though national authorities may adapt them according to their own policies.
The Hondius docked on Sunday morning in Spain's Canary Islands. Passengers were repatriated on special flights, with the evacuation completed on Monday evening.
The vessel, which is operated by the Dutch company Oceanwide Expeditions, has since departed for the Netherlands with a skeleton crew.
The WHO believes the outbreak may have originated from a Dutch couple who were likely infected in South America before boarding. They were the first to become ill and later died.
Around 150 people from 23 countries were on board the ship that departed Argentina on April 1 with an itinerary that was to take them to remote islands in the South Atlantic.
The last fatality was a German woman who died on board the ship on May 2.
