The WHO has completed the evacuation of passengers from the ship where the hantavirus outbreak occurred

The World Health Organization has announced the completion of the evacuation of passengers from the cruise ship MV Hondius, on board which an outbreak of hantavirus was detected.

This was announced by WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

According to him, more than 120 passengers have already returned to their home countries or are in quarantine on their way home. Meanwhile, the ship’s captain and 26 crew members remain on board, and the ship is expected to arrive in the Netherlands on Monday.

As of now, there are no people on the ship with symptoms of the disease.

According to the WHO, a total of 10 cases of infection have been recorded, three of which were fatal. In eight cases, infection with the Andes virus has been laboratory-confirmed, and two more cases are considered probable.

The WHO has warned that due to the incubation period of up to six weeks, new cases may still be detected, but the risk of a global spread of the infection is assessed as low.

Hantavirus outbreak: experts assess the risks of a global pandemic.

We also reported: Among the crew members of the MV Hondius, where a hantavirus outbreak was recorded, are five Ukrainian citizens. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported that no signs of a deterioration in their health have been detected so far.

The disease on board the MV Hondius, owned by the Dutch company Oceanwide Expeditions, which has claimed the lives of three passengers, may have been introduced by Argentine rats or mice.