Cruise Ship MV Hondius Docked for Disinfection After Hantavirus Outbreak
The MV Hondius, a cruise ship affected by a hantavirus outbreak, has arrived at the Dutch port of Rotterdam for disinfection. The journey has raised alarms among international health authorities. The ship, which carried 25 crew members and two medical personnel, docked without passengers, all of whom disembarked earlier.
As the ship reached Rotterdam on Monday morning, Oceanwide Expeditions confirmed that none on board showed symptoms. Crew members were observed wearing masks as a tugboat and a Dutch police boat guided the ship to port.
A nearby area had 25 white quarantine containers set up by authorities along the water, amidst windmills. The port’s harbor master, René de Vries, explained that crew unable to leave will quarantine in these containers, with access to satellite internet and catering.
“The ship is in need, struggling at sea, with potentially sick crew members. It’s unacceptable to deny its entry to Europe’s largest port,” de Vries remarked.
Rotterdam frequently aids misfortuned ships in the North Sea, but this marks the first arrival from far-off Antarctica. Health authorities will collaborate with the Erasmus Medical Center and Rotterdam’s city to disinfect the vessel.
“The ship will be cleaned here at the jetty. We can manage this,” de Vries commented.
Three passengers, including a Dutch couple exposed to the virus in South America, succumbed during the outbreak. The ship had sailed from the Canary Islands over the last six days, disembarking remaining passengers for quarantine across 20 countries.
The outbreak affected at least 11 individuals; nine cases confirmed. The Public Health Agency of Canada reported one Canadian testing positive and plans to report to the World Health Organization.
Crew not able to return home will quarantine in the Netherlands, as stated by the Dutch health ministry. Nearly two dozen passengers and crew have already quarantined upon arriving on various flights. Eighteen Americans are in U.S. healthcare facilities specialized for infectious diseases.
The World Health Organization emphasized the rarity of such outbreaks compared to COVID, noting that this was the first on a cruise ship. The virus’s incubation period may result in additional cases among former passengers, warns Tedros.
Once everyone disembarks, the ship will be sanitized following Dutch public health protocols. “Protective personal measures are in place to prevent quarantining of cleaners post-cleaning,” the health ministry assured in correspondence to the Dutch parliament. Public health officials will inspect the ship before permitting it to sail again.
Oceanwide Expeditions indicates no changes to operations, with an Arctic cruise planned from Keflavik, Iceland, on May 29. France’s Pasteur Institute completed sequencing of the Andes virus from a French passenger, finding it similar to known South American viruses, with no new dangerous traits.