world
Operator Awaits Test Results Before Deciding on Cruise Ship Schedule
The company operating the MV Hondius, where a hantavirus outbreak led to three passenger deaths, said it expects to decide by the end of the week whether the vessel will continue its scheduled Arctic cruises this summer. Eleven cases have been reported, nine confirmed. The ship is en route to Rotterdam with 28 people aboard after passengers were quarantined in multiple countries.
May 13, 7:14 AM·1m read2 sources
Abc NewsAudio version
Tap play to generate a narrated version.
Developing·Limited corroboration so far. This page will refresh as more sources emerge.
The company that operates the MV Hondius cruise ship told The Associated Press on Wednesday that it expects to know by the end of this week whether the vessel will maintain its scheduled cruises for the remainder of the summer. The Dutch-flagged ship is listed on the operator's website as scheduled to depart later in May for the Arctic, where it had been set to conduct a series of cruises.
On Monday, after the vessel reached Spain's Canary Islands and all remaining passengers disembarked, the company said it did not foresee changes to its operations, including a new cruise beginning May 29.
Three passengers have died in the outbreak, including a Dutch couple whom health officials believe were the first exposed to the virus while visiting South America. In all, 11 cases have been reported, nine of which have been confirmed. More than 120 people who had been on board during the outbreak, including all passengers and some crew members, disembarked on Sunday and Monday.
They are now quarantined in several countries. The ship then departed for Rotterdam in the Netherlands, where it is expected to arrive on May 17 or 18. Twenty-five crew members, two health workers and the body of one of the passengers who died remain aboard.
None are showing symptoms, the company has said. Hantavirus usually spreads from rodent droppings and is not easily transmitted between people, though the Andes virus detected on the Hondius may be able to spread between people in rare cases. Symptoms usually appear between one and eight weeks after exposure.
