Dutch hospital staff with hantavirus patient quarantined after procedure error
Procedural errors were made in taking blood and disposing of the patient's urine
Twelve staff members at a Dutch hospital treating a hantavirus-positive evacuee from the MV Hondius cruise ship are in preventative quarantine after procedures were not followed correctly, the hospital said Monday.
Procedural errors were made in taking blood and disposing of the patient's urine, said the Radboud University Hospital in the east of the country in a statement.
"Due to these circumstances, twelve employees are going into preventive quarantine for six weeks as a precaution, even though the risk of infection is low," added the hospital.
Spaniard evacuated from cruise ship has hantavirus: health ministry
Earlier on Monday the Spanish health ministry said a Spanish passenger evacuated from the disease-stricken MV Hondius cruise ship has tested positive for hantavirus but was not suffering symptoms.
The passenger was "placed in isolation at the Gomez Ulla hospital and received a positive result from a PCR test done on his arrival", the ministry said. It added that the "final results will be known in the coming hours" and the other 13 Spanish evacuees had tested negative for the time being.
Hantavirus-hit ship expected in Rotterdam late Sunday
The MV Hondius, the hantavirus-hit cruise ship which has departed Tenerife after disembarking its passengers, is expected to arrive in Rotterdam on Sunday evening after a six-day voyage, according to its operator.
"It is expected to take MV Hondius six days to sail to Rotterdam. A provisional arrival date is the evening of Sunday, 17 May 2026," said Oceanwide Expeditions in a statement.
The ship has 25 crew and two medical staff on board, the operator said. In addition, it is carrying the body of a German passenger who died during the cruise.
The operator confirmed that the ship would undergo disinfection procedures upon arrival in Rotterdam.
Still on board the vessel are 17 crew from the Philippines, four Dutch (two crew and the two medical staff), four from Ukraine and one each from Russia and Poland.
"All remaining crew on board will comply with the medical screening and quarantine conditions in place by the Dutch authorities," said the operator.