Summary
- Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus says he will personally travel to Tenerife
- The visit comes amid the hantavirus outbreak aboard the MV Hondius
- Tedros praised Spain for accepting the vessel and called the move an act of solidarity
NAIROBI, Kenya- Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has announced he will personally travel to Tenerife as authorities prepare to receive passengers from the virus-hit MV Hondius.
The rare move by the head of the World Health Organization comes as global attention intensifies around the suspected hantavirus outbreak that has already killed three passengers onboard the vessel.
Tedros says he wants to stand with Tenerife residents
In a direct public message posted on X, Tedros said he intends to witness the operation firsthand and support health workers managing the sensitive situation.
“And because I believe that so deeply, I will be there myself,” Tedros wrote.
“I intend to travel to Tenerife to observe this operation firsthand, to stand alongside the health workers, port staff, and officials who are making it happen.”
The WHO chief also praised residents of Tenerife for responding with “grace, solidarity and compassion” despite growing fears linked to the outbreak.
His decision to personally attend the operation marks one of the strongest public interventions by the WHO since concerns emerged around the ship.
Why the MV Hondius outbreak sparked global concern
The MV Hondius has been at the centre of international health investigations after several passengers reportedly contracted the rare Andes strain of hantavirus during the voyage.
The outbreak has already left three passengers dead and triggered international tracing efforts involving multiple countries.
WHO says the virus onboard is the Andes strain, one of the few hantavirus variants believed capable of limited human-to-human transmission.
Despite the alarm, Tedros stressed that the public health risk to Tenerife residents remains low.
“This is not another COVID-19,” he said.
According to WHO, there are currently no symptomatic passengers onboard the ship, while medical experts and emergency teams remain deployed throughout the operation.
Spain praised for accepting the ship
Tedros also publicly thanked Pedro Sánchez and the Spanish government for allowing the ship to dock.
He described the decision as an act of “solidarity and moral duty” under international health regulations.
Passengers are expected to disembark through a tightly controlled operation involving sealed transport corridors and direct repatriation flights to their home countries.
The WHO says Tenerife was selected because of its medical capacity and ability to safely handle the operation.
The crisis has revived memories of the COVID-19 pandemic across Europe, with authorities working to reassure the public that the situation is contained.
