Cruise Ship Reaches Netherlands Amid Hantavirus Concerns

The cruise ship MV Hondius docked in Rotterdam, Netherlands, early Monday morning after a long journey marked by a hantavirus outbreak. The ship traveled 8,500 miles over seven weeks, during which up to 11 infections and three deaths occurred. The virus primarily spreads through rodents.

Now docked, the MV Hondius is undergoing disinfection. The captain, Jan Dobrogowski, and 26 crew members are on board, while most passengers, including 18 Americans, are quarantining in their home countries. The ship carries the body of a German passenger who died at sea.

The cruise departed from Ushuaia, Argentina, on April 1, embarking nearly 150 passengers on an expedition to remote islands. A Getty Images photograph shows the ship’s arrival at Rotterdam.

The World Health Organization is investigating to identify the source of the virus. It is believed that the first infection may have resulted from contact with rodents during a bird-watching trip. Nine cases have been confirmed through lab tests, with two more suspected cases. The incubation period for hantavirus can extend up to six weeks.

A Canadian passenger tested positive last week and is receiving hospital care. Patients are infected with the Andes strain, capable of human-to-human transmission. A photo from Nicolas Tucat/Getty Images depicts health workers, suited in protective gear, entering the MV Hondius.

Passengers, including Americans, are isolating at home or in hotels after disembarking on May 10 in Tenerife, Canary Islands. Authorities had barred the vessel from docking at its scheduled final stop, Cape Verde, in West Africa.

The hantavirus is endemic in parts of South America but seldom affects humans and has not been recorded on a cruise ship before. Health officials worldwide are reassuring the public about the risk of a wider outbreak.

The MV Hondius plans to resume voyages next month post inspection and sanitation. According to the Polartours website, a ‘Polar Cruise’ is scheduled to begin on June 5, with pricing from $5,750 per person.