90-Second Read: Hantavirus cruise ship arrives in Europe after departing Canary Islands

Rotterdam has been bracing for the cruise ship The Dutch cruise ship, which was severely affected by a deadly Hantavirus outbreak, has docked in the port city of Rotterdam. The MV Hondius has spent the last six days traveling from the Canary Islands, where staff wearing full-body protective equipment removed the remaining passengers from the vessel and put them on flights to over 20 countries to begin quarantine. The Hantavirus outbreak on the MV Hondius marks the first documented occurrence on a cruise vessel.

The outbreak aboard the ship has reached 11 cases, with nine confirmed. Three passengers have died, including a Dutch couple whom health officials believe were initially exposed to the virus during a visit to South America. The Public Health Agency of Canada confirmed that one of the four Canadians in isolation after disembarking the ship tested positive on Sunday, and it would provide information about the case to the World Health Organization.

The vessel has traveled from Tenerife along the coasts of Africa and Europe, carrying 25 crew members and two medical staff. The Dutch operator of the cruise ship indicated it anticipates no modifications to its scheduled voyages. According to ship operator Oceanwide Expeditions, nobody on board is showing any symptoms.