The Hantavirus-hit MV Hondius cruise ship, operated by Oceanwide Expeditions, is set to dock in Rotterdam on Monday for a full disinfection operation after several cases were reported onboard earlier this month.
Dutch authorities have arranged quarantine facilities for crew members and two medical staff who remain on the vessel, according to Reuters.
The ship had earlier been stranded off Cape Verde after local authorities refused permission for passengers to disembark because of the outbreak. The World Health Organisation and the European Union later requested Spain to coordinate the evacuation process before the vessel continued its journey to Rotterdam.
The cruise ship was carrying around 150 passengers and crew members from different countries when severe respiratory illnesses were first reported on May 2. The outbreak involves the Andes virus, a strain of Hantavirus that has circulated in Argentina and Chile for decades.
No approved vaccine or cure available
There are currently no approved vaccines or specific cures for hantavirus infections. The disease is generally spread through infected rodents and can lead to severe respiratory and cardiac complications.
According to WHO epidemiologist Maria Van Kerkhove, the outbreak is serious and requires close monitoring, though she stressed it is very different from COVID-19 or bird flu. As reported by The Telegraph, she described the quarantine period as “critical,” highlighting concerns about how the isolation process will unfold.
What’s the quarantine period?
WHO has advised anyone exposed to the virus to undergo 42 days of quarantine or self-isolation, along with regular testing and medical supervision.
Most symptoms appear within two weeks of exposure, though they can take up to six to eight weeks to develop. WHO says that in humans, symptoms typically begin between one and eight weeks after exposure, depending on the virus type.
Common signs include fever, headaches, muscle pain, abdominal discomfort, nausea and vomiting.
