Almost a month after the first passenger died of the hantavirus on board the MV Hondius cruise ship, it is finally approaching Tenerife in the Canary Islands.
Intensive preparations have been under way to receive the ship in the port of Granadilla and help more than 100 people onto shore to be repatriated.
The Hondius is expected to arrive in the area before dawn but even now it won't be permitted to reach shore: a security perimeter of one nautical mile will be enforced around the ship as it approaches the island.
Once in the port, it will drop anchor at sea to ensure its continuing isolation.
The complex operation to prevent the rare Andes strain of this virus spreading is described by Spain's health minister as "unprecedented".
