When the ship entered the harbor, there were still 25 crew members and two medical service staff on board. Some of them later left the ship wearing protective clothing, carrying personal belongings in boxes and bags. Others are housed in temporary living units on the harbor quay for medical examination and isolation.
Three Deaths
The outbreak on board led to multiple infections and three fatalities in recent weeks. Among the deceased were a Dutch couple and a German passenger. According to health authorities, several infections have been confirmed while other cases are still under investigation.
The MV Hondius carried about 150 passengers and crew from dozens of countries when serious illnesses were first reported in early May. At that time, the ship was heading toward Cape Verde, where the trip was originally supposed to end. However, local authorities refused to allow the ship to dock due to the outbreak.
Promotion
Evacuation
Subsequently, a complex international operation was launched to evacuate passengers and the sick. Spain ultimately made the Canary Islands available for disembarkation and repatriation. More than a hundred passengers and crew left the ship there and traveled by charter flight back to their home countries or to the Netherlands.
Symptoms
Several passengers had to be hospitalized after the evacuation. A French passenger ended up in critical condition in a hospital in Paris after developing symptoms during the return flight. A Dutch and a British passenger were also brought to the Netherlands for treatment.
According to the shipping company, those still on board show no symptoms. They are continuously monitored by medical personnel. Health officials emphasize that the risk of further spread remains low, although they note that the virus has an incubation period of several weeks.
Patient Zero
The outbreak involves the Andes virus, a variant of the hantavirus linked to South America. The ship began its journey in early April in Ushuaia, Argentina, and sailed past remote islands in the South Atlantic Ocean before heading northward. Officials say the deceased Dutch ornithologist (70) was the one (“patient zero”) who brought the virus on board after a photo safari of Argentine birds at a garbage dump.
After arriving in Rotterdam, the ship will be cleaned and disinfected for several days. Public health services will then inspect it before deciding whether it may set sail again.