Canary Islands block cruise ship with Andes virus amid health fears

Fernando Clavijo, president of the Canary Islands government, has clashed with Spain’s central authorities over the docking of a cruise ship carrying passengers infected with the Andes hantavirus. He demanded an urgent meeting with Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, arguing that the vessel posed a serious health risk to the islands.

The dispute began when the MV Hondius, a cruise ship with confirmed cases of the Andes virus, requested permission to dock in Tenerife. The plan had been coordinated between the central government and the World Health Organisation. Clavijo, however, publicly rejected the ship’s arrival, insisting that no scientific data could guarantee public safety.

He raised concerns that rodents carrying the virus might swim ashore, spreading the disease. To support his claim, he conducted an AI search to prove that rodents can swim. Health Minister Mónica García later responded, explaining that the Andes virus does not spread through swimming rats or mosquitoes. Instead, it transmits between humans via contact with infected rodent waste. The long-tailed pygmy rice rat, the natural carrier of the virus, is not found in Europe and cannot reach the islands by swimming. Despite this, Clavijo remained firm in his opposition, calling the central government’s approval of the docking 'outrageous' and warning of potential outbreaks. The Andes strain is the only hantavirus known to spread between humans, making containment a priority. Clavijo’s stance reflects broader fears about the virus entering the Canary Islands, though officials maintain that strict protocols are in place.

The MV Hondius remains at the centre of a political and health debate. Clavijo’s refusal to allow docking highlights ongoing tensions between regional and national authorities over disease control measures. For now, the ship’s fate—and the risk of virus transmission—stays unresolved.