The World Health Organisation has announced the completion of the evacuation of passengers from the MV Hondus cruise ship, where an outbreak of hantavirus was reported. More than 120 people have already returned home or are in quarantine. The crew and captain remain on the ship, which is heading to the Netherlands.
WHO completes evacuation of passengers from ship carrying hantavirus
The World Health Organization has officially announced the completion of the evacuation of cruise ship passengers MV Hondus, where an outbreak was previously recorded hantavirus. According to the information disseminated by the CEO Gebreyesus, More than 120 people have already left the ship and returned home or are in quarantine while travelling.
At the same time, Captain Jan Dobrogowski and 26 crew members remain on board the MV Hondus, which is due to arrive in the Netherlands on Monday. According to the latest reports, no cases of symptoms of the disease have been reported on the vessel.
Crew actions and next steps
After the evacuation of passengers is completed, the crew remains on board under the direction of the captain Jana Dobrogowski. According to the WHO, all crew members are now healthy and have no symptoms of hantavirus. The vessel continues its journey to a port in the Netherlands, where it will undergo additional sanitary and security checks.
Experts emphasise that crew isolation and compliance with quarantine measures are key to minimising the potential risks of infection. All passengers who have already left the ship are under medical supervision in their respective countries.
Risk assessment and WHO's position
The WHO emphasises that the risk of spreading hantavirus as a result of the MV Hondus incident to the global community is assessed as low. The organisation notes that all necessary safety protocols were followed, and cooperation between international medical services allowed the situation to be quickly contained.
General Director Gebreyesus said the situation was under control and the health of both passengers and crew was being closely monitored. WHO continues to provide advice and support to the countries whose citizens were on board.
Why it matters
The incident with the MV Hondus cruise ship has become a test case for international mechanisms for responding to infectious disease outbreaks. The timely evacuation of passengers and the rapid organisation of quarantine measures helped to prevent the spread of the hantavirus outside the ship.
For the countries whose citizens were on board, it is important to ensure further medical surveillance and public awareness of the symptoms and prevention of hantavirus infection. The experience of this case can be used to improve protocols for responding to similar incidents in the future.
