The MV Hondius cruise ship arrives in Rotterdam on Monday after the hantavirus outbreak that left three dead. WHO: Global risk remains low
The cruise ship MV Hondius is set to end its voyage in the Dutch port of Rotterdam on Monday, May 18, after the hantavirus outbreak that has caused international concern was confirmed on board. The vessel is to be disinfected. However, the World Health Organization (WHO) said that the risk to public health remains low, despite the three deaths associated with this episode.
MV Hondius. PHOTO: Antarctica Cruises
The vessel is scheduled to dock between 10:00 and 12:00, according to AFP, taken over by News.ro. It came to the attention of the health authorities at the beginning of May, after the appearance of several cases of infection with hantavirus, a rare virus for which there is currently no vaccine or specific treatment.
So far, seven cases of infection have been confirmed, and another case is considered probable, according to an assessment based on official data. The outbreak has led authorities in about 20 countries to place suspected persons and their contacts under surveillance or quarantine.
The WHO stated that the transmission of the virus between people requires very close contact, which is why the global risk has been reassessed and kept at a low level.
However, experts warn that the incubation period for hantavirus can last several weeks, meaning that new cases could emerge in the coming period among exposed passengers and crew members.
There are 27 people on board the ship. All will go into quarantine or self-isolation
Currently, 27 people are still on board the ship: 25 crew members and two medical personnel. They will disembark directly in Rotterdam and quarantine in the port or self-isolate at home. According to Oceanwide Expeditions, all are asymptomatic.
On board is also the lifeless body of a woman of German origin, who died during the journey.
More than 120 passengers were already disembarked on May 10 in the Canary Islands, being later repatriated to their countries of origin or transferred to the Netherlands.
Among the serious cases is a 65-year-old woman from France who developed symptoms on her return flight and was hospitalized in critical condition in Paris, with the infection later confirmed. Two other people, of Dutch and British nationality, were rushed to the Netherlands for medical treatment and are currently in a stable condition.
Confirmed case of hantavirus in Romania
We remind you that a case of hantavirus was recently confirmed in Romania as well. It is about a 25-year-old man, who was hospitalized for two years at the Psychiatric Hospital in Ștei (Bihor), without leaving the medical unit during this period. He had been discharged on May 9. Upon investigation, it was confirmed to be infected with hantavirus, most likely a strain that is transmitted from rodents, not from human to human.
