The operator of a cruise ship at the centre of a hantavirus outbreak is awaiting a decision by the end of the week on its summer sailing schedule, a reversal from earlier assurances. The Dutch-flagged MV Hondius, managed by Oceanwide Expeditions, had been scheduled for an Arctic expedition later in May, followed by a series of summer cruises.
Initially, after the vessel reached Spain's Canary Islands on Monday and all remaining passengers disembarked, Oceanwide Expeditions stated it did not 'foresee changes to our operations,' including a new cruise scheduled for May 29. However, the company confirmed Wednesday that it now expects 'clarity on whether the vessel will sail and the sailing schedule by the end of this week.'
The outbreak has led to the deaths of three passengers, including a Dutch couple believed by health officials to have been the first exposed to the virus during a visit to South America. More than 120 individuals, comprising passengers and some crew, disembarked on Sunday and Monday and are currently quarantined across several countries. The ship subsequently departed for Rotterdam, the Netherlands, where it is anticipated to arrive on May 17 or 18.
Twenty-five crew members, two health workers, and the body of one deceased passenger remain on board, with the company reporting no symptoms among them. Hantavirus typically spreads through rodent droppings and is not easily transmitted between people, though the Andes virus, identified on the Hondius, may be capable of human-to-human spread in rare instances.
