Spain has allowed a cruise ship hit by hantavirus cases and three deaths to dock in the Canary Islands, as health authorities investigate whether human-to-human transmission occurred on board.
The decision was taken in coordination with the World Health Organization (WHO) and the European Union, in line with international law and humanitarian principles, the Spanish Health Ministry said late on Tuesday.
The Hondius cruise ship, with about 150 passengers and crew on board, had set off from southern Argentina and has been anchored off Cabo Verde, formerly known as Cape Verde.
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) was assessing the ship to determine which people need to be urgently evacuated from Cabo Verde, the Spanish ministry said.
The remaining passengers and crew were to travel on the cruise ship to the Canary Islands, where they were expected to arrive within three to four days.
The WHO had said Cabo Verde, a small island state off West Africa, was unable to carry out the operation itself, according to the Spanish ministry.
