A luxury cruise liner linked to a hantavirus outbreak arrived at the Dutch port city of Rotterdam on Monday, as authorities prepared quarantine arrangements for the remaining crew and medical staff on board.
Marine tracking sites confirmed the arrival of the Dutch-flagged MV Hondius, which had been carrying about 150 passengers and crew from 23 countries when the outbreak was first reported to the World Health Organization on May 2.
Three people — a Dutch couple and a German national — have died since the outbreak began.
The vessel, operated by Oceanwide Expeditions, had earlier been stranded off Cape Verde after authorities refused permission for passengers to disembark because of the outbreak.
The WHO and the European Union later asked Spain to oversee the evacuation at the Canary Islands before the ship continued to Rotterdam with a reduced crew and 2 additional medical staff.
Port authorities said quarantine facilities had been arranged for some non-Dutch crew members, although it remained unclear whether they would complete the recommended 42-day quarantine period there.
Officials also said the vessel would undergo disinfection procedures.
Hantavirus is mainly spread by rodents but can pass between humans in rare cases involving prolonged close contact. The incubation period can last up to 6 weeks.
Passengers, crew members and close contacts who already left the ship have been quarantined across several countries.
The current outbreak involves the Andes virus strain, which has circulated in Argentina and Chile for decades.
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control said samples taken from the ship showed no significant variation in the virus.
On Friday, the WHO revised the number of reported cases to 10 from 11 after an inconclusive US case later tested negative.
As of May 15, the WHO said there were 10 reported cases, 8 confirmed and 2 probable including the 3 deaths.
Faridah Abdulkadiri
