MV Hondius was carrying 25 crew members and two medical personnel because it reached the Dutch port of Rotterdam.
Revealed On 18 Might 2026
A cruise ship hit by a lethal hantavirus outbreak has docked within the Netherlands for disinfection.
The MV Hondius was carrying 25 crew members and two medical personnel because it reached the Dutch port of Rotterdam on Monday, after all of the passengers disembarked at different areas. In response to the ship operator Oceanwide Expeditions, nobody on board is experiencing any signs.
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A brief distance from the place the ship docked, authorities had arrange white containers alongside the water. The crew will enter fast quarantine, with those that can’t be instantly repatriated spending their time in quarantine in these containers.
Three passengers of the ship died, together with a Dutch couple who well being officers imagine had been the primary uncovered to the virus whereas visiting South America.
The MV Hondius has spent the previous six days crusing from the Canary Islands, the place the remaining passengers had been evacuated and boarded flights to greater than 20 nations to enter quarantine.
There have been at the least 11 circumstances of an infection on the ship, 9 of which have been confirmed.
The Public Well being Company of Canada mentioned one of many 4 Canadians in isolation after leaving the ship had examined constructive on Sunday. It mentioned it might share data on the case with the World Well being Group (WHO).
Late Sunday, the WHO mentioned it was sustaining its evaluation of the hantavirus outbreak as “low threat”.
“Whereas further circumstances should happen amongst passengers and crew members uncovered earlier than containment measures had been applied, the danger of onward transmission is anticipated to be diminished following disembarkation and the implementation of management measures,” it mentioned.
Crew members who’re unable to return dwelling might be quarantined within the Netherlands, the Dutch Ministry of Well being, Welfare and Sport mentioned final week. Some two dozen passengers and crew members have already been in quarantine within the Netherlands after arriving within the nation on completely different flights within the final two weeks.
After everybody on board has disembarked, the ship might be decontaminated based mostly on Dutch public well being tips.
“Private protecting measures are being taken to make sure that the cleaners don’t must quarantine after the cleansing,” the Well being Ministry mentioned in a letter to the Dutch parliament final week.
Public well being officers will examine the ship earlier than it’s allowed to sail once more. The hantavirus outbreak on Hondius is the primary recognized case on a cruise ship.
France’s Pasteur Institute mentioned on Saturday it has totally sequenced the Andes virus detected in a French passenger from the Hondius and located that it matched viruses already recognized in South America, with no proof thus far of latest traits that will make it extra transmissible or extra harmful.
