The Australian government announced on Monday the repatriation of its citizens on board the MV Hondius, a luxury cruise ship flying the Dutch flag, affected by an outbreak of hantavirus, a potentially fatal disease.
Australian passengers will be quarantined upon arrival in Australia, authorities said. The ship is currently anchored near Tenerife, the largest of the Canary Islands.
Several countries have already begun evacuating their citizens. Spain and France have repatriated some of their nationals, while flights to Canada, the Netherlands, Turkey, the United Kingdom, Ireland and the United States were scheduled to depart Sunday evening.
Australian Environment Minister Murray Watt told ABC News that Canberra had agreed to repatriate "a small number of Australians" as well as a foreign national requiring medical treatment in Australia.
Hantavirus is a rare but serious infection usually transmitted to humans by infected rodents. Some strains can cause severe respiratory or kidney complications and lead to death.
Health authorities have not yet specified how many people were infected on board the ship or the exact origin of the outbreak. The situation is nevertheless causing serious international concern due to the potentially deadly nature of the virus and the large number of passengers affected.
The incident highlights the health risks faced by cruise ships, where close quarters sometimes facilitate the rapid spread of infectious diseases. Authorities in several countries are now closely monitoring the situation surrounding the MV Hondius.
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