Cruise ship with hantavirus reaches final stop of its crisis voyage

The luxury cruise ship MV Hondius, which became the center of an international hantavirus outbreak, arrived on Monday at the Dutch port of Rotterdam—the final point of its crisis voyage, Reuters reports.

Dutch authorities are already preparing quarantine measures for the remaining 23 crew members and two medical staff who are still on board.

The ship sails under the Dutch flag and is operated by Oceanwide Expeditions. In early May, there were approximately 150 passengers and crew members from 23 countries on board when the World Health Organization (WHO) received the first reports of a cluster of severe respiratory illnesses.

Three people have died since the start of the outbreak—a Dutch couple and a German citizen.

Earlier this month, the MV Hondius remained stranded off the coast of Cape Verde after local authorities refused to let passengers disembark due to the risk of spreading the virus.

Subsequently, the WHO and the European Union requested that Spain organize the evacuation of passengers via the Canary Islands. Following the completion of the operation, the ship set sail for Rotterdam with a skeleton crew and two additional medical specialists.

Local port authorities reported that quarantine facilities have been prepared for part of the foreign crew, although it remains unclear whether all will remain isolated for the full recommended 42-day period.

The ship itself will also undergo a complete disinfection.

Hantavirus is typically transmitted via rodents, but in rare cases, it can spread between humans through prolonged and close contact. The incubation period can last up to approximately six weeks.

Passengers, crew members, and individuals who have been in contact with those infected have already been placed under quarantine in several countries worldwide.

The current outbreak is linked to the so-called Andes virus—a hantavirus strain that has been circulating for decades in Argentina and Chile.

According to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), samples from the ship do not show significant mutations of the virus.

On Friday, the WHO revised the number of cases from 11 to 10 after a suspected case in the United States tested negative.

As of May 15, the organization reports a total of 10 cases—eight confirmed and two probable—including the three deaths.

The WHO recommends that high-risk contacts be monitored and quarantined for 42 days following potential exposure, while those at lower risk should monitor for symptoms and seek medical attention if necessary.