WHO Clears Hantavirus Cruise Ship Passengers and Crew to Return Home After Weeks of Quarantine
WHO clears MV Hondius passengers and crew to return home after hantavirus quarantine.
Almost all passengers and crew members of the cruise ship MV Hondius who were placed under quarantine following a deadly hantavirus outbreak have now been cleared to return home, World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus announced. The development marks a significant step toward concluding an international public health response that followed multiple infections and fatalities linked to the expedition vessel.
The outbreak resulted in 12 confirmed cases and one probable case of hantavirus infection, including three deaths, prompting health authorities across several countries to implement strict containment measures. The Dutch-flagged polar exploration ship began its voyage on April 1 from Ushuaia in Argentina, travelling through remote South Atlantic islands before sailing to Cape Verde and Tenerife in Spain's Canary Islands, where the remaining passengers were evacuated.
After arriving at Rotterdam harbour on May 18, the vessel remained under quarantine while a skeleton crew stayed onboard for several weeks. According to the WHO chief, almost all quarantined passengers and crew, including foreign nationals, have now been permitted to return home. He also noted that no new cases or deaths have been reported since early May, indicating that the situation remains stable.
Also Read: Tamil Nadu Revokes Environmental Clearance for Brigade's Rs 2,000-Crore Chennai Housing Project
Health authorities cleared the MV Hondius to resume sailing on May 30 after extensive cleaning and disinfection procedures were completed. Meanwhile, the government of St Helena, where many passengers had disembarked during the response, officially ended the major incident declaration on June 8 after all identified contacts successfully completed a mandatory 42-day isolation period.
Officials on the remote British island, home to around 4,400 residents, thanked those affected for their patience and cooperation, stating that their adherence to isolation measures played a crucial role in protecting the wider community. Authorities confirmed that there are currently no active, suspected or confirmed hantavirus cases on the island and that no further public health risk exists.
Hantavirus is a rare rodent-borne disease for which there are currently no approved vaccines or specific treatments. The Andes strain linked to the MV Hondius outbreak is unique among hantaviruses because it is capable of human-to-human transmission. The successful containment of the outbreak without additional reported cases has been viewed as a significant achievement for international public health authorities and local health agencies involved in the response.
