Indian Crew In Dutch Quarantine After Hantavirus Outbreak

MADRID/WASHINGTON, DC– The Embassy of India in Madrid on May 10 confirmed that two Indian nationals aboard the hantavirus-hit cruise ship MV Hondius are safe and asymptomatic as multiple countries intensified monitoring and quarantine measures following the outbreak.

The Dutch-flagged expedition cruise vessel, carrying around 150 people including passengers and crew members, arrived off Spain’s Canary Islands on May 9 after a hantavirus outbreak onboard resulted in three deaths and several suspected infections.

In a statement, the Embassy of India in Madrid said the two Indian nationals travelling as crew members were healthy and had shown no symptoms of the virus.

“The passengers onboard disembarked from the ship in accordance with the protocol established by the WHO and the Spanish authorities,” the Embassy stated.

The Embassy added that, according to Spain’s National Centre for Emergency Monitoring and Coordination, the two Indian crew members had been evacuated to the Netherlands, where they would undergo quarantine as part of health safety protocols.

Meanwhile, American passengers aboard the ship are being quarantined in the United States upon arrival, according to local media reports citing officials from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 17 American passengers are being secured in a quarantine facility in Nebraska.

The World Health Organization (WHO) said it was monitoring and supporting the public health response related to the outbreak aboard MV Hondius, operated by Oceanwide Expeditions.

According to the vessel’s itinerary, the ship departed Ushuaia in southern Argentina on March 20 and was scheduled to complete its voyage in Cape Verde on May 4. (IANS)