Particle.news
Download on the App Store

Hantavirus Cruise Ship Reaches Rotterdam as Canada Confirms New Case

WHO says the global risk stays low despite the virus's rare person-to-person spread.

Overview

  • MV Hondius, which docked in Rotterdam on Monday, began disembarking 25 crew and two medical staff for quarantine as authorities move to disinfect the ship.
  • Canadian officials confirmed one infection among four returning passengers, with the patient isolated in British Columbia and reported to have mild symptoms.
  • Three deaths have been linked to the voyage, including a Dutch couple and a German passenger, and a French traveler remains on life support in Paris.
  • WHO keeps its global risk rating at low and asks exposed travelers to monitor for symptoms through late June because incubation can last several weeks.
  • Sequencing by reference labs, including the Institut Pasteur, matches known South American Andes strains, and experts say person-to-person spread is uncommon and usually requires close contact.