Hantavirus-Hit Cruise Ship Begins Evacuation in Canary Islands

A cruiseship at the center of a deadly hantavirus outbreak is starting the process of evacuating passengers in Spain’s Canary Islands, almost a month after the contagious disease broke out.

Distinguished professor in the Division of Infectious Diseases at Emory University School of Medicine Dr. Carlos Del Rio joins David Gura and Christina Ruffini on Bloomberg This Weekend to discuss.

The vessel, the Dutch-flagged MV Hondius, anchored near Tenerife on Sunday and people have started to disembark, beginning with Spanish citizens, Spain’s Health Ministry said.

Passengers from the Netherlands, Germany and Belgium will follow and be flown to their countries, with both a Spanish and a Dutch plane ready.

The Irish government is sending a plane to Spain on Sunday to repatriate two Irish citizens, who will then be sent to a medical facility for monitoring and isolation, a situation that could take several weeks, broadcaster RTE said. (Source: Bloomberg)