Hantavirus Quarantine Ends for Passengers and Crew of MV Hondius

The World Health Organization (WHO) has stated that almost all passengers and crew of a cruise ship affected by a deadly hantavirus outbreak and quarantined in the Netherlands have now been cleared. They are now permitted to return to their respective home countries. According to AFP, there were 12 confirmed cases and one probable case originating from the MV Hondius, including three deaths, in an outbreak that triggered an international health warning. The Dutch-flagged vessel set sail on 1 April from Ushuaia, Argentina, passing remote islands in the South Atlantic Ocean before moving north towards Cape Verde, then Tenerife in the Canary Islands, Spain, where the remaining passengers were evacuated. The polar expedition ship docked on 18 May at the Port of Rotterdam, the Netherlands—Europe’s largest port—while the remaining crew had to undergo quarantine for several weeks. “Almost all passengers and crew of the MV Hondius who were quarantined in the Netherlands are now allowed to return home, including foreign nationals,” said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus via X. He stated that “as no new cases or additional deaths have been reported since 2 May, the situation remains stable”. On 30 May, the ship was declared fit to sail again after cleaning and disinfection processes were completed. Subsequently, on 8 June, the territory of St Helena, where many passengers disembarked, announced the end of the major hantavirus incident status previously imposed on the remote British island, which is home to around 4,400 residents. “All individuals identified as close contacts and required to self-isolate have now successfully completed the mandatory 42-day isolation period,” the island’s government said. According to local authorities, their “extraordinary patience” and resilience were key factors in keeping the entire community safe. “There are no active, suspected, or confirmed cases on the island, and there is no longer any risk to the public.” Hantavirus, which spreads through rodents, is a rare virus for which there is currently no vaccine or specific treatment. The Andes species that caused the outbreak on the Hondius is the only known type of hantavirus that can be transmitted from human to human.