The judicial decision supports the health measure of internment for seven days in individual rooms at the Hospital Central de la Defensa Gómez Ulla, located in Madrid. This resolution is based on Organic Law 3/1986 on Special Measures in Public Health Matters, as well as articles of the Spanish Constitution and the European Convention on Human Rights, which allow the isolation of individuals who may spread contagious diseases.
“"The health of citizens is an essential element of the general interest that public authorities must address. In an undeniable situation of serious health risk such as that generated by hantavirus, in light of the reports provided with the request, it is evident that the general interest must prevail over the individual."
The magistrate emphasized that the general interest and the right to life must prevail over any individual objection to health measures. Furthermore, she considers the quarantine to be “adequate, necessary, and suitable” for controlling the disease and preventing its spread, and that the established isolation period is not excessive.
The order was issued without prior hearing of those affected due to the urgency of the situation and the imminent arrival of the cruise ship at the port of Granadilla de Abona, in Tenerife. From there, passengers would subsequently be transferred to Madrid to comply with the isolation.
The hantavirus outbreak was detected in early May 2026 on the MV Hondius, which was coming from Ushuaia (Argentina). The ship carried 147 passengers and crew members, 14 of whom are Spanish or residents in Spain. Health reports indicate that as of May 4, seven cases of hantavirus had been identified, with a tragic toll of three fatalities. The disease, according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO), can cause fever, gastrointestinal problems, and rapid progression to pneumonia, with a fatality rate ranging from 10% to 32%.
