Dutch passengers on MV Hondius to face 6-week home quarantine

The Dutch government decided on Friday that Dutch nationals aboard the cruise ship MV Hondius who are not showing symptoms will undergo six weeks of home quarantine after arriving in the Netherlands, reported Xinhua.

According to a letter sent to parliament on Friday by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport, "There are currently no people showing symptoms of illness on the ship."

Dutch cruise operator Oceanwide Expeditions said in a statement on Thursday that the vessel was sailing toward the port of Granadilla in Tenerife, Spain. The journey is expected to take three to four days, with the ship scheduled to arrive in Tenerife in the Canary Islands on Sunday morning.

The letter stated that all Dutch passengers, as well as Dutch crew members when necessary, will be repatriated as soon as possible after arrival.

"Which passengers and crew members will be picked up from Tenerife is currently being determined in consultation with the Spanish authorities and the shipping company," the letter said.

According to the Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), the likelihood of contracting the Andes virus is very low. The institute noted that the virus is primarily transmitted through contact with rodent droppings, particularly from mice and rats. Human-to-human transmission is considered extremely rare and generally occurs only after prolonged close contact.

Because the MV Hondius sails under the Dutch flag, passengers of other nationalities may also be temporarily accommodated in the Netherlands. These individuals will likewise be required to undergo six weeks of quarantine. "The RIVM indicates that such accommodation is feasible," the letter stated.

Spain identifies 2^nd monitored contact linked to hantavirus cruise ship case

Spanish health authorities on Friday identified a second monitored contact linked to the hantavirus outbreak associated with the cruise ship MV Hondius after tracing a woman living in Catalonia who had shared a flight with a deceased Dutch traveler, reported Xinhua.

Spain's Center for Coordination of Health Alerts and Emergencies (CCAES) said the woman is asymptomatic and was initially missed during contact tracing because of a seat change on the aircraft.

According to health authorities, the woman now meets the criteria for monitored contact under a newly approved national surveillance protocol and will remain under medical observation. Spain reports suspected hantavirus linked to cruise ship outbreak

Earlier, Spanish Secretary of State for Health Javier Padilla said on Friday that the health authorities had taken relevant measures after detecting a suspected case of hantavirus in the eastern city of Alicante.

The person traveled several weeks ago on the same flight as one of the infected individuals, Padilla said.

He added that the person had developed symptoms compatible with hantavirus infection, although the authorities are still assessing whether the case can be confirmed.

In addition, Padilla confirmed that all 14 Spanish passengers aboard the MV Hondius had agreed to undergo voluntary quarantine measures in order to minimize the risk of further transmission.

The Dutch-operated expedition cruise ship, currently heading toward Spain's Canary Islands, has so far been linked to three deaths.

Padilla said a team from the Spanish Health Ministry would travel to Tenerife on Saturday ahead of the ship's expected arrival on Sunday.

Passengers are expected to disembark by small boats before being transferred under strict isolation measures. Spanish citizens aboard the vessel will be transported to Madrid for quarantine observation.

Cabo Verde says Andes virus detected in 2 evacuees

Laboratory tests confirmed recent infection with Andes virus, a type of hantavirus, in two of the three patients evacuated from the MV Hondius cruise ship, Cabo Verde's Ministry of Health said on Friday, reported Xinhua.

In an update over the ship, which remained off the Port of Praia from May 3 to 6, the ministry said that biological samples had been collected as part of clinical procedures and epidemiological surveillance and sent to the Institut Pasteur de Dakar for laboratory analysis.

The two positive cases were among the patients who had shown symptoms before being evacuated from the ship via specialized air ambulances, according to the ministry.

Genomic sequencing is underway for a full characterization of the identified viral strain, the ministry added.

Following the laboratory confirmation, Cabo Verde's National IHR Focal Point officially notified its counterparts in the countries concerned, in line with international obligations on disease notification and health cooperation, it said.

The ministry said the test results confirmed the relevance and prudence of the measures adopted by national health authorities from the outset of the incident, with priority given to protecting public health, personnel involved and the population on shore.

In this context, the vessel had not been authorized to dock and passengers had not been allowed to disembark, it added.

In accordance with applicable international protocols, health professionals who provided assistance on board are observing a quarantine period, while all means of transport and materials used during the evacuation of the three patients have been disinfected, according to the health ministry.

Cabo Verde was notified on the morning of May 2 of a respiratory disease outbreak aboard the MV Hondius. The authorities said all necessary assistance had been provided to those on board, especially the three patients later evacuated to the Netherlands who are currently in stable clinical condition.