People in personal protective suits interact with a member of the crew on the cruise ship MV Hondius, which was affected by a hantavirus outbreak, after it arrived at the Port of Rotterdam, where Dutch authorities are preparing quarantine arrangements, in Rotterdam, Netherlands, May 18, 2026. [Photo/Agencies]
The cruise ship that has been at the center of an outbreak of the deadly hantavirus has arrived at the Dutch port of Rotterdam for disinfection, with its remaining crew members facing a lengthy stay in quarantine.
Three passengers on the MV Hondius, a 170-berth polar cruising vessel operated by Oceanwide Expeditions, died after the outbreak of the virus, a Dutch couple and a German woman, with two of them confirmed to have had the virus.
Hantavirus is linked to rodent feces and is endemic in Argentina, where the ship began its most recent voyage on April 1. Currently, there is no vaccine or specific treatment for the virus.
The ship's final destination was supposed to have been Cape Verde, but following the outbreak, it was diverted to the Canary Islands, off the west coast of Africa. It has ended up going to the Netherlands because it is Dutch-flagged.
