![\"Greek](\"https:\/\/www.ekathimerini.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/AP26130664276800-320x200.jpg?v=1778477648\")
\n <\/source><\/picture>\n
A Spanish passenger is sprayed with disinfectant by Spanish government officials before boarding a plane after disembarking from the hantavirus-stricken cruise ship MV Hondius at Tenerife airport in the Canary Islands, Spain, Sunday. [AP]<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
A Greek passenger evacuated from a cruise ship affected by a hantavirus outbreak has been placed in quarantine at Attikon General University Hospital in Athens. The passenger, whose identity has not been disclosed, has shown no symptoms of the disease, according to officials.<\/p>\n
Passengers were evacuated on Sunday from the MV Hondius after the vessel arrived in Tenerife, the largest island in Spain\u2019s Canary Islands archipelago off the northwest coast of Africa.<\/p>\n
The Greek passenger was among 26 people transferred to Eindhoven in the Netherlands on Sunday evening aboard a Dutch evacuation flight. From there, he was flown to Elefsina military airport on a Greek Air Force C-130 aircraft under medical supervision before being transported to hospital. He will remain in quarantine for 45 days in a specially prepared negative-pressure isolation chamber.<\/p>\n
In a post on social media, Health Minister Adonis Georgiadis said the passenger had not displayed any signs or symptoms of infection, adding that he had been placed in quarantine as a precautionary measure. \u201cThere is absolutely no cause for concern,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
At least six people linked to the outbreak aboard the ship have so far tested positive for hantavirus, including five passengers who had disembarked earlier and one American passenger evacuated from the vessel who tested positive but remains asymptomatic. Three people have died since the outbreak began, including one passenger who died on board. Health officials had initially said none of the more than 140 passengers and crew still aboard the vessel were showing symptoms before the evacuation operation began, although a French passenger later developed suspected symptoms during a repatriation flight and was placed in isolation pending testing.<\/p>\n
Hantavirus is typically transmitted through inhalation of particles contaminated by rodent droppings, urine, or saliva, and human-to-human transmission is considered rare. However, the Andes strain of the virus detected in the cruise ship outbreak may, in uncommon cases, spread between people. Symptoms generally appear between one and eight weeks after exposure.<\/p>\n
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the World Health Organization, reiterated that the public should not be alarmed by the outbreak.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have been repeating the same answer many times,\u201d he said. \u201cThis is not another Covid. And the risk to the public is low. So they shouldn\u2019t be scared, and they shouldn\u2019t panic.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"greek-passenger-from-hantavirus-hit-cruise-ship-quarantined-in-athens0\"](\"https:\/\/www.ekathimerini.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/AP26130335608157.jpg?1778477736183\")