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Frank Andrews is a CBS News journalist based in London.

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Updated on: May 6, 2026 / 7:59 AM EDT / CBS News

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Three patients suspected of having the hantavirus have been evacuated from the MV Hondius cruise ship and are on their way to the Netherlands to receive medical care, the World Health Organization said Wednesday. The three are German, Dutch and British, the last of whom is a crew member, according to the WHO.

The rare outbreak of the virus has already killed three.

And in the latest twist in the hellish ordeal for the 150 or so passengers on board, the leader of the Canary Islands has rejected a plan for the ship to dock there.

The plan, coordinated between the Spanish government and the WHO, had been for the ship to head to the Canary Islands for a "full investigation" and "full inspection" after the three were evacuated.

But the leader of the archipelago's regional government, Fernando Clavijo, rejected the idea Wednesday, saying he has requested a…