The European Commission said Monday it is coordinating and supporting national authorities responding to a hantavirus outbreak, while the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control assesses the risk to the general population in Europe as very low.
Spain activated the EU Civil Protection Mechanism on May 6 after the cruise ship MV Hondius anchored off Tenerife reported infections. Since then, the EU Emergency Response Coordination Centre has overseen the safe evacuation of passengers.
Five EU‑coordinated repatriation flights took place Sunday, operated by France, Spain, the Netherlands, Greece and Ireland. A sixth and final flight, run by the Netherlands, departed Monday, the Commission said.
The EU has also mobilized assets from its strategic reserve. A medical evacuation aircraft from the EU fleet, hosted by Norway, has been pre‑positioned in Tenerife, and additional transport, logistics support and protective equipment are on standby.
A liaison officer from the Emergency Response Coordination Centre has been deployed to Tenerife, and the ECDC sent two experts from the EU Health Task Force to the ship before disembarkation.
The Commission said it is working closely with EU member states, countries participating in the Civil Protection Mechanism, the ECDC, the World Health Organization and G7 partners.
Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness and Crisis Management Hadja Lahbib said cross‑border health threats require coordinated action.