The president of the Canary Islands, Fernando Clavijo, has rejected the Spanish government’s decision to allow the Dutch MV Hondius vessel, which has a hantavirus outbreak on board, to dock in the islands.
"I can not allow [the boat] to enter the Canaries," Clavijo told Onda Cero radio in an interview.
He added: "This decision is not based on any technical criteria and nor have we been given enough information."
Clavijo, who is currently in Brussels, said he wanted to meet urgently with prime minister Pedro Sánchez in Madrid in order to discuss the matter.
The boat is expected to reach the Canary Islands in the next few days.
Seven cases of hantavirus - two confirmed and five suspected - have so far been identified in people who were on the ship, according to the latest World Health Organization update.
Hantavirus refers to a strain of viruses carried by rodents, primarily transmitted to humans through inhalation of airborne particles from dried rodent droppings.
Infections typically occur when the virus becomes airborne from a rodent's urine, droppings, or saliva, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Though rare, it can also spread through rodent bites or scratches.
The virus can cause two severe illnesses.
- Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome - often starts with fatigue, fever, and muscle aches, followed by headaches, dizziness, chills, and abdominal issues. If respiratory symptoms develop, the mortality rate is approximately 38%, according to the CDC
- Hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome - is more severe and primarily affects the kidneys. Later symptoms can include low blood pressure, internal bleeding, and acute kidney failure
Evacuation of three people from ship in Cape Verdes 'ongoing', says WHO
The evacuation of two sick crew members and one other person from the Hondius in Cape Verde is "ongoing", the World Health Organization says.
"The three of them are stable, and one of the three is asymptomatic," WHO Cape Verde representative Ann Lindstrand tells AFP.
The cruise ship is expected to depart Cape Verde following the evacuation.
The ship's Dutch operator Oceanwide Expeditions said on Tuesday that two seriously ill crew members - one British, one Dutch - and a passenger would be taken off the ship and flown to the Netherlands.
After the evacuation, "our plan is to proceed to the Canary Islands, either Gran Canaria or Tenerife, which will take three days of sailing," the operator said yesterday.
"Discussions are ongoing with relevant authorities."
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