90-Second Read: Cruise Ship Tied To Deadly Hantavirus Outbreak Will Set Sail Again

The notorious cruise ship linked to a deadly Hantavirus outbreak has been cleared to return to service.A deep cleaning and disinfection have been completed on MV Hondius, Oceanwide Expeditions announced in a news release on Monday, June 1. The Dutch company said the ship was approved to resume oper… The notorious cruise ship linked to a deadly Hantavirus outbreak has been cleared to return to service. The Hondius was tied to 13 Hantavirus cases as of Tuesday, May 27, according to the World Health Organization. The Dutch company said the ship was approved to resume operations on Friday, May 30.

The clearance comes as US health officials monitor Hondius passengers potentially exposed. Five US residents have returned to their home states after three weeks of monitoring at the National Quarantine Unit at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, Reuters reported on Tuesday, June 2. The released passengers will continue to be watched for 21 more days by state and local public health departments. Oceanwide said hard surfaces were cleaned with registered disinfectants and hydrogen peroxide, while soft surfaces were cleaned with high-temperature steam.

Three people died, including a Dutch man, his wife, and a passenger from Germany. More than a dozen biosecurity specialists from EWS Group spent several days treating all eight decks of the ship. The CDC is currently monitoring 41 US residents for possible infections. The WHO recommends that high-risk contacts monitor and quarantine for 42 days after exposure.