Home / Health / Hantavirus Cruise Scare Ends: All Quarantined Freed
Hantavirus Cruise Scare Ends: All Quarantined Freed
19 Jun
Summary
- Almost all quarantined cruise ship passengers and crew are now free to go home.
- The outbreak on the MV Hondius resulted in 12 confirmed and 1 probable case, including three deaths.
- Remote St Helena island declared the hantavirus incident concluded after all contacts completed isolation.
An international health alert surrounding a hantavirus outbreak on the cruise ship MV Hondius has officially concluded. The World Health Organization announced that nearly all passengers and crew who were quarantined in the Netherlands have been cleared to return home, including non-nationals.
The outbreak, which originated on a voyage that departed Argentina on April 1, involved 12 confirmed cases and one probable case of hantavirus, tragically resulting in three deaths. The situation has remained stable with no new cases reported since early May, and the ship itself underwent cleaning and disinfection.
Furthermore, the remote British island of St Helena, where many passengers disembarked, has declared its major hantavirus incident over. All individuals identified as contacts and required to self-isolate have successfully completed their mandatory 42-day isolation periods. This conclusion signifies no active, suspected, or confirmed cases on the island and no further risk to the public, thanks to the community's patience and resilience.
