ROTTERDAM, Netherlands, May 18 - A luxury cruise ship involved in a hantavirus outbreak docked in Rotterdam on Monday. Authorities were disembarking 25 crew members and two medical staff, and they planned to cremate...
ROTTERDAM, Netherlands, May 18 - A luxury cruise ship involved in a hantavirus outbreak docked in Rotterdam on Monday. Authorities were disembarking 25 crew members and two medical staff, and they planned to cremate a German woman who passed away.
The Dutch-flagged MV Hondius will undergo disinfection.
At the time, it was carrying approximately 150 passengers and crew from 23 different countries when the World Health Organization (WHO) received reports of severe respiratory illnesses on May 2.
So far, three people have died. The bodies of a Dutch couple have been sent back home, while a German victim will be cremated in the Netherlands, with her ashes later returned to Germany.
In total, eight confirmed cases and two probable cases have been reported on board, according to WHO statistics.
Hantavirus is mainly spread by rodents, but it can also be transmitted between people in rare instances following prolonged close contact. Symptoms may take about six weeks to appear.
Currently, there is no specific treatment for hantavirus infection.
The Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) stated that none of the disembarking individuals showed any symptoms.
“Upon arrival in Rotterdam, the disembarkation process occurs gradually and under control,” the RIVM explained.
The MV Hondius docked at Landtong, a narrow peninsula in Rotterdam port, far from urban areas. Nearby, several white trailers had been set up for the disembarkation process, and both areas were fenced off.
‘NO RISK’
According to WHO, the overall public health risk remains low and should not be compared to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“There is no risk for Rotterdam, and in that sense, no risk at all,” said Tjalling Leenstra, head of the Dutch coordination center for communicable disease control at RIVM.
He added that all individuals who had been exposed are under monitoring and quarantine.
The ship, managed by Oceanwide Expeditions, had been stranded off Cape Verde this month after authorities prohibited remaining passengers from disembarking.
The WHO and EU requested Spain to facilitate the evacuation at the Canary Islands, after which the ship traveled to Rotterdam with a limited crew of 25 people and two medical staff.
Two Dutch crew members will return home for quarantine, while the remaining staff, mostly from the Philippines, will be quarantined in mobile homes in the Rotterdam area, according to Yvonne van Duijnhoven, director of the GGD Rotterdam-Rijnmond municipal health service.
Cleaning the vessel, which will be done by a specialized company, could take up to a week, as per RIVM.
“They will wear protective gear and clean all surfaces, including ventilation systems, with each room being assessed individually,” said RIVM spokesperson Coen Berends, adding that cabins of people who tested positive will be designated as high-risk areas.
This outbreak involves the Andes virus, a strain that has been circulating in Argentina and Chile for many years.
Other crew, passengers, and those who came into contact with them have also been quarantined in several other countries.