Passengers from the hantavirus-infected cruise ship are being relocated to a specialized hospital ward designed for handling incidents involving radioactive leaks. This follows three fatalities and several other individuals falling sick due to the rare rat-borne disease outbreak on the MV Hondius, a luxurious vessel that departed from Argentina a month ago and is currently docked near Cape Verde. Evacuations have commenced, including the transfer of a British passenger to the Netherlands for medical care under hazmat supervision.
Spain has announced plans to transfer its 14 citizens from the ship to the High-Level Isolation Unit at the Gómez Ulla Central Defence Hospital in Madrid if any symptoms appear. The hospital’s facility is equipped to manage outbreaks of tropical and uncommon diseases, including haemorrhagic fevers and respiratory illnesses, and handle incidents involving hazardous biological or radioactive substances. The evacuation process will start in Tenerife, where the passengers will undergo initial medical assessments before being airlifted to the Torrejón de Ardoz air base and then transferred to the Madrid hospital’s isolation unit.
The High-Level Isolation Unit, situated on the 22nd floor of the hospital, features seven inpatient beds and a BSL-3 biosafety level laboratory to ensure strict quarantine measures. Access to the unit is separate from public entrances and involves a dedicated bed lift. The rooms are equipped with ICU facilities, vacuum pressure systems, hyperchlorinated water toilets, and hydrogen peroxide disinfectants. Additionally, the unit includes airlock systems, decontamination zones, and separate corridors for personnel, clean equipment, and contaminated materials.
Colonel Antonio Fé Marques, in charge of the unit, highlighted its establishment post the 2014 Ebola epidemic to handle health crises effectively. Spain’s Health Minister, Mónica García, noted that symptomatic patients would be directly admitted to isolation units while asymptomatic passengers would be housed in designated areas within the hospital complex. Defence Minister Margarita Robles emphasized that quarantine measures would be voluntary, requiring individuals to provide informed consent due to the restriction on personal liberty.
The ship’s log lists 19 British passengers and four crew members. Two British nationals who disembarked in late April are advised to self-isolate for 45 days, as per the UK Health Security Agency’s guidance.