Evacuation of the MV Hondius, a cruise ship hit by a hantavirus outbreak, has commenced in the Canary Islands. Three passengers, a Dutch couple and a German woman, have died, and others are sick. The ship arrived at Granadilla de Abona in Tenerife. Passengers are being repatriated, with the final flight to Australia scheduled for Monday. Health officials have downplayed the risk of a widespread outbreak. Passengers are disembarking onto smaller boats and then transferred to the airport for their flights. Authorities are taking precautions and the World Health Organisation is overseeing the operation. The hantavirus type that can transmit from person to person, Andes virus, has been confirmed among those who tested positive. The ship arrived from Cape Verde, where three infected individuals were previously evacuated. The first infection is believed to have occurred before the cruise began, with transmission happening on board.