The last passengers have disembarked from the virus-hit cruise ship MV Hondius, as fresh cases of hantavirus were confirmed, raising concerns among health authorities, though officials say the overall risk remains low.
The final six passengers including four Australians, a Briton and a New Zealander left the vessel in Tenerife before it departed for the Netherlands.
According to BBC, the evacuation marks the end of a large repatriation effort that saw more than 90 passengers flown back to their home countries over recent days.
Some crew members also left the ship, while 27 people mostly crew remain on board.
New cases confirmed
Authorities confirmed three new positive cases linked to the outbreak. An American and a French national who had already returned home tested positive, while a Spaniard in quarantine in Madrid also showed a provisional positive result.
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As reported by BBC, the World Health Organization (WHO) has confirmed seven cases linked to the ship, with two more suspected.
Three passengers have died after travelling on the cruise, two of whom were confirmed to have hantavirus.
The first victim, an elderly Dutch man, died on board in April after showing symptoms. His wife later died in South Africa after being evacuated.
A German woman also died on the ship earlier this month.
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What officials are saying
Health authorities continue to stress that the risk of wider spread is low.
“The risk of a major outbreak is very low,” officials said, as quoted by BBC.
The WHO has recommended a 42-day isolation period for those who were on board. However, the acting head of the US Centers for Disease Control said, as reported by AP, that the virus “should not be treated like Covid”, noting that human-to-human transmission is rare.
Passengers and global response
Passengers have been repatriated to several countries including the US, UK, Canada and the Netherlands.
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- US citizens are undergoing clinical assessment
- British passengers were briefly isolated in hospital
- Canadians and others are self-isolating at home
A French patient is currently in isolation in Paris, with health officials tracing contacts. The MV Hondius began its journey in Argentina on 1 April with 147 passengers and crew from 23 countries.
During the voyage across the South Atlantic:
- The first death occurred on 11 April
- Further infections emerged in late April
- The ship finally docked in Tenerife on 10 May
- The vessel is now heading to the Netherlands for further management.
- Crew remains onboard
27 people including crew and medical staff are still on board and will remain under monitoring.
The ship’s captain described the situation as “extremely challenging” and expressed condolences for those who died.
