MV Hondius arrives at port of Rotterdam; Hantavirus risk "low" for world population: WHO

MV Hondius arrives at port of Rotterdam; Hantavirus risk "low" for world population: WHO

The Dutch cruise ship MV Hondius is entering the port of Rotterdam. The ship hit by a hantavirus outbreak arrived around 10:00 a.m. and still has around 30 minutes to sail to the berth, the Port Authority reported. The World Health Organization (WHO) still assesses the risk of hantavirus to the global population as “low.”

There are currently 25 crew members and a Dutch doctor and nurse on board the Hondius. So far, none of them have started showing symptoms that could indicate a hantavirus infection, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus reported on Friday. Part of the crew will go into quarantine at the port.

People showing symptoms and other passengers were evacuated over the past two weeks. So far, the non-symptomatic passengers evacuated to the Netherlands have all tested negative for the hantavirus.

In a statement late on Sunday evening, the WHO reported that more infections are still possible for passengers of the MV Hondius, but the risk of further spread remains low due to precautionary measures. “Passengers and crew exposed on board this ship can still become ill during the incubation period and must therefore be closely monitored,” the WHO wrote.

According to the WHO, 440 people in at least 30 countries are being closely monitored due to possible exposure to the virus.

Following the hantavirus outbreak on the Dutch cruise ship, in which three people died, the Samenwerking Infectieziekten is launching a public campaign to better inform people about infectious diseases and make them more resilient. This is necessary because the threat of infectious diseases is increasing, the partnership states.

In the campaign, titled Infectious Diseases Together, pathogens like bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites “tell” about situations in daily life where humans unintentionally spread them, weakening our resilience. This is intended to make people more aware of the risks.

Approximately 200,000 people are hospitalized annually due to infectious diseases, according to Samenwerking Infectieziekten - an initiative by patients, healthcare professionals, and health funds. The organization wants it to “become normal to protect yourself, each other, and people with vulnerable health.”

The risks of infectious diseases are increasing due to various factors, including the aging population, more people traveling further abroad, animal diseases spreading to humans, climate change, antibiotic resistance, and a lower vaccination rate.

“With this campaign, we want to shake the Netherlands awake,” said Margriet Schneider, chair of Samenwerking Infectieziekten. “If we do nothing, more and more people will become ill. Simple infections, such as a urinary tract infection, may soon become difficult or impossible to treat and become life-threatening. And the next pandemic could once again lead to tens of thousands of victims, overcrowded hospitals, and billions in extra healthcare costs."