Dozens of passengers and crew from multiple countries have been evacuated from the cruise ship MV Hondius after a deadly hantavirus outbreak left three people dead and several others ill.

The ship arrived off Tenerife in the Canary Islands on Sunday, carrying 146 people.

Authorities began a two-day evacuation operation, with passengers flown back to their home countries under strict health protocols.

British nationals were among those evacuated and transported on chartered flights to the UK, where they entered quarantine at Arrowe Park Hospital in Merseyside.

Officials said none of the UK passengers was showing symptoms.

Passengers and crew had remained confined to their cabins for several days as health teams monitored the outbreak.

Medical workers in protective gear screened those onboard before allowing them to disembark.

According to authorities, eight additional people became ill during the outbreak.

Hantavirus can initially cause flu-like symptoms and, in severe cases, lead to respiratory failure and death.

French and US officials confirmed that some repatriated passengers were showing mild symptoms or had tested positive for the Andes strain of the virus.

Spanish authorities said the evacuations were carried out in coordination with the World Health Organisation to prevent contact between passengers and the public in Tenerife.

The ship had earlier been denied permission to dock in Cape Verde amid fears of the outbreak spreading further.

Health officials stressed that hantavirus does not spread as easily as COVID-19 and said fears of a new pandemic were unfounded.

However, countries involved in the evacuation are continuing contact tracing and quarantine measures due to the virus’s incubation period, which can last several weeks.

A small number of essential crew members remained onboard the vessel to help sail it to Rotterdam.