Passengers from the hantavirus-stricken cruise ship MV Hondius are back in their home countries across Europe, where they face quarantine periods of up to 45 days as health authorities work to contain any further spread of the rare and potentially fatal virus.
The ship docked in the Canary Islands on Sunday with 147 passengers and crew from 23 nationalities on board, following a coordinated operation between the Spanish government, the World Health Organisation and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. All those on board were tested for symptoms before being repatriated to their countries of origin.
A new case was confirmed during the repatriation process, with one passenger beginning to show symptoms during transfer to France.
Where passengers are now
Spain’s 14 nationals are being held at the Military Hospital Gómez Ulla in Madrid, one of the country’s high-level isolation facilities, where they face a 42-day quarantine with regular PCR testing. French authorities have placed their five returning passengers in a healthcare facility for medical and epidemiological assessment, after which a 42-day isolation period will follow. French authorities have also confirmed that anyone who has been in contact with passengers or confirmed cases “may be subject to quarantine or isolation measures where it appears that they present a serious risk of infection.”
In the Netherlands, 26 passengers arrived in Eindhoven on Sunday. Dutch nationals have been sent home for 42 days of self-isolation, while those without Dutch residency have been placed in a quarantine facility. During the quarantine period, passengers are permitted short outdoor walks while maintaining distance and wearing a face mask.
Twenty British nationals, along with one German resident and one Japanese passenger, are being monitored at Arrowe Park Hospital in Wirral, where a 72-hour testing period will be followed by up to 45 days of isolation. Germany has transferred four passengers to Frankfurt’s hospital before dispersal to their respective federal states, with each person monitored by local health authorities. Belgium received two passengers, both taken to Antwerp University Hospital for assessment, while Greece’s sole national is in precautionary quarantine for 45 days at the Attikon University Hospital in Athens. Two Irish passengers arrived in Dublin on Sunday and are described as being in good spirits with no symptoms.
Fifty-four people remain on board the ship — 26 continuing by sea and 28 to be transferred by aircraft — both groups bound for the Netherlands, including six passengers who will subsequently travel on to Australia.
Why health authorities remain concerned
Health authorities continue to stress that the overall public risk remains low, despite the seriousness of the outbreak. Unlike Covid-19 or influenza, the Andes strain of hantavirus — the only known strain capable of human-to-human transmission — is not considered highly contagious and typically requires prolonged close contact with an infected person, particularly during the early stages of symptoms. Most hantavirus infections are instead linked to exposure to infected rodent urine, saliva or droppings. However, the virus carries a high mortality rate once symptoms develop, with hantavirus pulmonary syndrome estimated to be fatal in roughly 30 to 40% of cases. The incubation period can range from one to eight weeks, which explains the unusually long quarantine measures now being enforced across Europe.
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