PASSENGERS started disem barking on Sunday from thehantavirus-hit cruise ship anchored off Tenerife in Spain’s Canary Islands ,hours after arriving there as evacuation plans got underway. An Associated Press journalist at the scenesaid that some people were seen reaching land after leaving the ship. Nobody among the more than 140 people on the MV Hondius is showing symptoms of the virus, Spanish authorities,the World Health Organisation and cruise company Oceanwide Expeditions said. Spain’s Health Ministrysaid that Spanish nationals would be the first to leavethe ship,and would be ferried off in small launch boats that carrybetween fiveand10people.Thecruiseship reached Tenerife early Sunday morning, after leaving Cape Verde on May 6.

 

Three people havedied since the outbreak, and fivepassengers who left the ship areinfected with hantavirus,which can cause life-threatening illness. Everyone disembarking will be checked for symptoms,andwere being taken off the ship once evacuation flights were ready to fly them to their destinations. “The entire operation is proceeding normally,” Spanish Health Minister Monica Garcia said. Authorities areaiming to complete the evacuation flights between Sunday and Monday, Spanish authorities and WHO said.

 

Thereare people of morethan 20 different nationalities on board. WHODirector-GeneralTedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus,along with Spain’s healthand interior ministers,will supervise the operationinTenerife,thelargest of Spain’s CanaryIslands offthe coast of West Africa. Authorities havesaid the passengersand crew members who will disembarkwill have no contact with the local population. Hantavirus usually spreads when people inhale contaminated residue of rodent droppings and isn’t easily transmitted between people. Butthe Andes virus detected in the cruise ship outbreak may be able to spread between peoplein rarecases.Symptoms usually show between one and eight weeks after exposure.

 

The Spanish nationals on board will be transferred to amedical facility and quarantined,authorities said. Oceanwide has listed 13 Spanish passengers and one Spanishcrewmemberonboard. Only Spanish nationals will quarantine in Spain, the cruise operatorsaid.Some Spanish passengers a board the ship toldThe Associated Press thatthey’reconcerned about being stigmatised once back on shore.TheUS, the UK and the Netherlands have agreed to send planes to evacuate their citizens.Americans on boardwill be quarantined at a medical centre in Nebraska. Twenty-nine people will be on boardthe Dutch charter flight, including Dutch nationalsand people of other nationalities,the Dutch Foreign Ministry said.