MV Hondius passengers being evacuated to the Netherlands in hazmat suits…
Dutch, British, and German citizens among those hit by the rare viral cluster…
Canary Islands slamming the door, refusing to let the “plague ship” dock…
Five-star luxury turned into a floating biohazard unit.
Panic in the staterooms as the global health risk remains “low” but the fear is high.
One ship, one virus, and nowhere left to land.
Deadly virus on the cruise ship: WHO issues advisory on global risk
A hantavirus outbreak on a Dutch-flagged cruise ship has left three people dead and seven cases under watch. WHO says the wider public risk remains low as investigators trace the source and contacts.
A rare hantavirus outbreak linked to a cruise ship has drawn global attention for its starkly high fatality rate – reaching up to 50 percent in parts of the Americas, compared with under 15 percent in Europe and Asia, though the World Health Organisation (WHO) maintains that the overall global risk remains low.
The outbreak, first reported to the WHO on May 2 by the UK under International Health Regulations, involves a Dutch-flagged cruise ship carrying 147 passengers and crew.
As of 4 May, seven cases had been identified, including two laboratory-confirmed hantavirus infections and five suspected cases. Three people have died, one patient remains critically ill in intensive care, and three others show milder symptoms, the WHO has said.
Passengers confined to cabins; 5 “Hazmat” teams spotted on deck.
The ship operator, Oceanwide Expeditions, claims there are no rats on board. If true, this points toward a passenger bringing the virus on from the embarkation point in Ushuaia, Argentina which is a known Hantavirus “hot zone” or an extremely rare contaminated supply shipment.
Hantavirus can take up to eight weeks to show symptoms. The ship left Argentina on April 1. This means passengers who feel “composed” today could still crash next week. The Dutch government is preparing for a mass hazmat evacuation once the ship hits Spanish waters.