Hantavirus-hit cruise ship set to dock in Rotterdam as outbreak-hit voyage ends

A cruise ship at the centre of a deadly hantavirus outbreak is set to end its voyage in Rotterdam on Monday, with the remaining skeleton crew beginning weeks of quarantine after a global health scare linked to the rare virus.

The Dutch-flagged MV Hondius is expected to dock in the Dutch port between 10 am and noon local time, carrying 27 people still on board — 25 crew members and two medical staff. The vessel, operated by Dutch company Oceanwide Expeditions, drew international attention after three passengers died from hantavirus during the journey.

The World Health Organization has stressed that the outbreak does not resemble the Covid-19 pandemic and said the risk of wider transmission remains low because hantavirus rarely spreads between people. WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said earlier this month there was “no sign” of a larger outbreak emerging, though he warned that additional cases could still surface due to the virus’s long incubation period.

So far, six confirmed cases and one probable case linked to the ship have been identified, according to official figures. Another possible case in Canada is still awaiting confirmation.

More than 120 passengers and crew were evacuated from the vessel after it reached the Canary Islands on May 10. Several were repatriated to their home countries, while others were transferred to the Netherlands for monitoring and treatment.

Among the hospitalised patients was a 65-year-old French woman who became ill during a repatriation flight and was later admitted to a Paris hospital in critical condition with a confirmed hantavirus infection. Two other passengers — one Dutch and one British — were airlifted from the ship to the Netherlands and remain in stable condition.

Officials said all those still aboard the ship are asymptomatic and under close observation by the onboard medical team. WHO reiterated late Sunday that the outbreak continued to pose a “low risk,” adding that the likelihood of further transmission had been reduced through quarantine and containment measures.

Those disembarking in Rotterdam include crew members from the Philippines, Ukraine, Russia, Poland and the Netherlands. Some will isolate at port quarantine facilities, while others will self-isolate at home. The body of a German passenger who died during the voyage also remains on board.

After docking, the ship will undergo extensive cleaning and disinfection.

The voyage began on April 1 in Ushuaia, Argentina, and included stops at remote South Atlantic islands before heading north. The outbreak triggered diplomatic tensions after Cape Verde refused entry to the vessel, forcing it to remain offshore while some passengers were evacuated by air. Spain later allowed the ship to anchor near the Canary Islands for evacuations, despite opposition from regional authorities.

Hantavirus is spread through contact with infected rodents’ urine, saliva or droppings and is endemic in parts of Argentina, where the cruise originated. Health officials said the infections aboard the MV Hondius involve the Andes strain — the only known hantavirus variant capable of human-to-human transmission.