American evacuation flights aboard hantavirus ships are planned by the United States.

The Spanish government and other U.S. federal agencies are working together, according to the U.S. State Department.

On Friday, May 9, 2026, the United States announced that it was planning an evacuation flight for Americans on a hantavirus-affected cruise ship that had set sail for the Spanish Canary Islands.

On Friday, May 9, 2026, the United States announced that it was planning an evacuation flight for Americans on a hantavirus-affected cruise ship that had set sail for the Spanish Canary Islands.

According to a State Department official, "the Department of State is setting up a repatriation flight to support the safe return of American passengers on this ship."
The spokeswoman, who wished to remain anonymous, stated, "We are in direct communication with Americans on board and are prepared to provide consular assistance as soon as the ship arrives in Tenerife, Spain."

17 Americans were on board, according to the ship operator. The number of American passengers was not immediately disclosed by the State Department.

The unusual disease, which often spreads among rodents, has killed three passengers from the MV Hondius, including a German woman and a Dutch husband and wife.
International alarm has been raised by the confirmation that the Andes virus, the only type of hantavirus that can spread from person to person, is present in those who have tested positive.

On Sunday, May 10, 2026, the ship is scheduled to arrive at Tenerife.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the aircraft will next transport the American cruise passengers to Offutt Air Force Base in Omaha, Nebraska, and subsequently to a national quarantine center at the University of Nebraska Medical Center.
The federally sponsored National Quarantine Unit will provide care for U.S. citizens, according to the University of Nebraska Medical Center and Nebraska Medicine, a healthcare network.

They released a statement saying, "At this time, the individuals being monitored are well with no symptoms of illness."

The United States is one of 12 nations whose citizens have already departed the ship on the isolated British island of Saint Helena on April 24, according to the World Health Organization.