A luxury cruise ship MV Hondius linked to a hantavirus outbreak on board has arrived in the Dutch port of Rotterdam, where authorities are now completing disembarkation of crew members and preparing the vessel for full decontamination.
The outbreak was first reported to the World Health Organization on 2 May while the vessel was carrying around 150 passengers and crew from 23 countries. As the situation developed, several passengers and crew fell ill onboard. In total, three people died during the outbreak. The bodies of a Dutch couple were repatriated earlier, while a German passenger who died will be cremated in the Netherlands, with ashes sent back to her home country.
In total, the World Health Organization has confirmed eight cases and two probable cases linked to the vessel.
The ship had previously been stranded off Cape Verde after authorities restricted disembarkation. Evacuation was later coordinated with international health agencies, including the WHO and the EU, with passengers and remaining crew transferred off the vessel in stages before its final voyage to Rotterdam.
On arrival, Dutch authorities began a controlled disembarkation process at a secured area of the port. Around 25 crew members and two medical staff were the last to leave the vessel. According to the Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), none of the individuals disembarking showed symptoms at the time of arrival.
Several groups of crew and passengers are now in quarantine under medical supervision, including workers placed in temporary accommodation near Rotterdam port facilities.
Health authorities said the vessel will undergo full disinfection, including cleaning of ventilation systems and individual cabin decontamination where infections were detected. The process is expected to take up to a week.
Officials stressed that the wider public risk remains low, with no evidence of transmission beyond close onboard contact. The World Health Organization also stated that there is no indication of a broader outbreak risk to the general population.
The outbreak has been linked to a hantavirus strain (Andes virus), which is primarily associated with rodent transmission but can, in rare circumstances, spread between humans following prolonged close contact. There is currently no specific treatment for infection.
Investigations and monitoring of exposed individuals are continuing across several countries where passengers and crew have already been repatriated or placed under quarantine.
