The MV Hondius, a cruise ship beleaguered by a lethal hantavirus outbreak, is set to dock in Rotterdam, Netherlands, on Monday morning, local time. This marks the end of its six-day journey from the Canary Islands.
In a dramatic scene reminiscent of a sci-fi film, remaining passengers were disembarked in the Canary Islands by personnel clad in full-body protective gear. These passengers were then flown to over 20 different countries, where they entered quarantine to curtail the spread of the virus.
Currently, the outbreak aboard the ship has been linked to 11 cases, with nine confirmed instances of the hantavirus. This incident is unprecedented, being the first known occurrence of the virus on a cruise ship.
In an effort to prevent further transmission, the Dutch health ministry assured that stringent personal protective measures are in place for the cleaning crew, enabling them to avoid quarantine post-cleanup. This information was formally communicated to the Dutch parliament last week.
Before the MV Hondius is permitted to resume its voyages, public health officials will conduct a thorough inspection to ensure the vessel is safe for future travel.
The hantavirus outbreak aboard the MV Hondius is the first known case on a cruise ship.
The Dutch company that owns the cruise ship said it doesn’t foresee any changes to its operations.
It has an Arctic cruise setting sail from Keflavik, Iceland, on May 29.
France’s Pasteur Institute said on Saturday it has fully sequenced the Andes virus detected in a French passenger from the MV Hondius cruise ship and found that it matched viruses already known in South America, with no evidence so far of new characteristics that would make it more transmissible or more dangerous.
