90-Second Read: Hantavirus-hit cruise ship arrives at Rotterdam port

STORY: The Hantavirus-hit cruise ship MV Hondius docked in Rotterdam on Monday, where Dutch authorities are preparing to quarantine the remaining crew and medical staff on board. The Dutch-flagged luxury cruise ship had around 150 passengers and crew from 23 countries when a cluster of severe respiratory illnesses was first reported to the World Health Organization on May 2. Health officials say the outbreak involves the Andes strain of the virus which is typically spread by rodents, but capable of limited human transmission through prolonged close contact. The ship was stranded off Cape Verde earlier this month after passengers were barred from going ashore.

As of May 15, there were 10 confirmed and probable cases. British Columbia's government said on Saturday that an additional Canadian has tested positive for Hantavirus after leaving the ship. In Rotterdam, some residents expressed concern about compliance with quarantine rules, but others said they were not worried about a wider outbreak.

Local authorities said quarantine facilities had been set up for some of the non-Dutch crew, but it's still unclear if they would stay there for the full recommended 42-day quarantine period. Since then, three people, a Dutch couple and a German national, have died. The WHO stresses the situation is "nothing like COVID" and does not constitute a pandemic, though more cases are expected due to the virus's long incubation period of up to six weeks. High-risk contacts are being monitored or quarantined for up to 42 days across multiple countries.