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Deadly Virus Outbreak Forces Cruise Ship Quarantine
18 May
Summary
- Cruise ship MV Hondius hit by hantavirus outbreak, 11 cases confirmed.
- Three passengers have died from the virus, including a Dutch couple.
- The ship is scheduled to arrive in Rotterdam for decontamination.
The cruise ship MV Hondius is set to arrive in Rotterdam, Netherlands, on Monday morning after experiencing a severe hantavirus outbreak. The virus has affected 11 individuals onboard, resulting in three fatalities, including a Dutch couple believed to be the initial carriers after visiting South America.
Passengers disembarked from Tenerife and were flown to over 20 countries for quarantine. As of Sunday, one Canadian passenger tested positive, with 18 Americans under observation in the United States. The ship, carrying 25 crew and two medical personnel, has no symptomatic individuals onboard currently. It will undergo thorough decontamination and inspection by public health officials before resuming operations.
This marks the first known hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship. The ship operator, Oceanwide Expeditions, anticipates no operational changes. French scientists have sequenced the Andes virus, confirming its origin in South America with no signs of increased transmissibility.
