Hantavirus confirmed in crew member

A new hantavirus case linked to the outbreak aboard the MV Hondius has been confirmed in the Netherlands, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The patient is a crew member who disembarked in Tenerife and was repatriated to the Netherlands and had already been in quarantine before testing positive.

The infection was confirmed through laboratory testing conducted by the RIVM and Erasmus MC as part of routine monitoring of quarantined passengers and crew. The patient was admitted to hospital as a precaution and remains in isolation. Dutch public health authorities said the individual had had close contact with infected people on board the vessel. 

The latest case brings the total number of confirmed infections linked to the outbreak to twelve, including three deaths. All fatalities occurred before 2 May, and WHO noted that no new deaths have been recorded in the past twenty days.

Passengers and crew members across 30 countries continue to be monitored as health authorities track possible exposures. The WHO and national governments are maintaining surveillance until the incubation period has ended for everyone who was on board the ship. Dutch authorities stressed that the risk of further spread in the Netherlands remains very low.