The MV Hondius, the cruise ship at the centre of a hantavirus outbreak that drew international attention earlier this month, arrived at the port of Rotterdam on Sunday to undergo a full disinfection process. The vessel had been sailing from the Canary Islands, where passengers were evacuated last week following the detection of hantavirus cases on board.
According to multiple reports from BBC, CBS News, and Sky News, 25 crew members and medical personnel remained on board during the transit from the Canary Islands to the Netherlands. The ship's operator coordinated the journey with Dutch health authorities, who had prepared protocols for the vessel's arrival and the subsequent decontamination procedure at the Rotterdam port facility.
The total number of confirmed hantavirus cases linked to the outbreak has now reached nine worldwide, including a newly identified case in Canada. Previous cases were reported in the United States, France, and other countries whose nationals were among the passengers on the Antarctic expedition cruise. Health authorities in affected nations continue to monitor evacuated passengers who are completing quarantine or self-isolation periods.
The World Health Organization has maintained its assessment that the global risk posed by the outbreak remains low. The WHO noted that hantavirus does not spread easily between humans and that the conditions on the ship, including close quarters and possible exposure to rodent droppings in cold environments, represented an unusual transmission scenario unlikely to be replicated in broader community settings.
Dutch authorities confirmed that strict biosecurity measures are in place at the port of Rotterdam for the disinfection process. The crew members who remained on board will be evaluated by medical teams before being allowed to disembark. The disinfection is expected to involve a thorough cleaning and treatment of all areas of the vessel, particularly those where rodent activity may have occurred.
The MV Hondius, operated by Oceanwide Expeditions, had been on an Antarctic expedition when the first cases of hantavirus were detected. The outbreak prompted an emergency diversion to the Canary Islands, where Spanish authorities coordinated a large-scale evacuation of passengers from multiple countries. The incident has raised questions about health screening protocols on expedition cruise ships operating in remote polar regions.
International health officials continue to stress that the situation is being managed effectively and that there is no indication of wider community transmission in any of the countries where evacuated passengers have returned. The focus now shifts to completing the disinfection of the MV Hondius and concluding the monitoring period for all individuals who were on board during the outbreak.
This article was first detected through AVALW News real-time broadcast monitoring on France 24 FR at 10:41 UTC on May 18, 2026. It was then verified against RSS sources including BBC, CBS News, Sky News, DW, The Independent, France 24. The content is an AI synthesis of the live broadcast, reviewed for accuracy before publication.