Hantavirus ship arrives in Rotterdam for disinfection

The cruise ship hit by a deadly hantavirus outbreak has arrived in the Netherlands and entered the Dutch port of Rotterdam for disinfection.

The MV Hondius, which was carrying 25 crew members and two medical personnel, had come from the Spanish island of Tenerife, where most of its passengers left the vessel earlier this month.

The Dutch-flagged ship had been carrying ‌around 150 passengers and crew from 23 countries when a cluster of the severe respiratory illness was first reported to ​the World Health Organisation (WHO) on 2 May.

Three people - a Dutch couple and a German national - have died since the start of the outbreak.

Most of those onboard had already come ashore in Tenerife on 10 May, before being repatriated to their respective countries.

Quarantine arrangements have been made for the 25 people still on board.

As of 15 May, there were 10 WHO-reported cases - eight ​confirmed and two probable - including the three deaths.

The WHO recommends monitoring and quarantining ​high-risk contacts for 42 days after exposure.

The current outbreak involves the so-called Andes virus, which has been circulating in Argentina and Chile for decades.

Samples from the ship show no meaningful variation in the virus, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control has said.

Yesterday, a group of nine Britons from St Helena and Ascension Island, who may have been exposed to hantavirus but do not have symptoms, arrived in the UK.

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They will complete their self-isolation at Arrowe Park, where the NHS's High Consequence Infectious Diseases network can provide support should they become unwell.

Public health officials will inspect the vessel before it is allowed to sail again.

The ship is due to set off on an Arctic cruise from Keflavik, Iceland, on 29 May. The ship's owner doesn't foresee any changes to the timetable.

The hantavirus outbreak aboard the MV Hondius is the first known case on a cruise ship.

(c) Sky News 2026: Hantavirus ship arrives in Rotterdam for disinfection