90-Second Read: Hantavirus-stricken cruise ship docks in the Netherlands

A cruise ship hit by a deadly Hantavirus outbreak has docked in the Netherlands for disinfection. During the outbreak, three passengers who had been aboard the ship died, including a Dutch couple who health officials believe were the first exposed to the virus while visiting South America. The Hantavirus outbreak aboard the MV Hondius is the first known case on a cruise ship. The outbreak on the ship has reached at least 11 cases, nine of which have been confirmed.

Crew members who are unable to return home will be quarantined in the Netherlands, the Dutch health ministry said last week. Some two dozen passengers and crew are already in quarantine in the Netherlands after arriving in the country on a series of flights over the previous two weeks. The Dutch company that owns the cruise ship said it doesn't foresee any changes to its operations. The MV Hondius was carrying 25 crew members and two medical personnel as it reached Rotterdam on Monday morning, after all the passengers disembarked elsewhere.

An Associated Press journalist saw people board the boat via pier wearing white hazardous materials suits. Eighteen Americans are currently under observation at specialized healthcare facilities in the United States designed to treat people with dangerous infectious diseases. After everyone on board has disembarked, the ship will be decontaminated based on Dutch public health guidelines. Public health officials will inspect the vessel before it is allowed to sail again.

The MV Hondius has spent the past six days sailing from the Canary Islands, where the remaining passengers were escorted off the vessel by personnel in full-body protective gear and boarded flights to more than 20 countries to enter quarantine. The vessel made the journey from Tenerife up the coast of Africa and Europe with 25 crew members and two medical personnel.