August M
A Dutch-owned cruise ship linked to a deadly hantavirus outbreak is expected to depart Tenerife for the Netherlands, where the vessel will undergo full disinfection and crew members will be placed in quarantine.
DR News reported that while passengers are being flown back to their home countries, many crew members remain aboard the affected ship ahead of its journey to Rotterdam.
Ship heads north
According to Spanish newspaper El País, the vessel was being refuelled at the port of Granadilla on Tenerife before its planned departure.
The ship is expected to sail toward Rotterdam later tonight.
DR News reported that crew members from countries including the Philippines will remain on board before entering quarantine in the Netherlands and undergoing hantavirus testing.
More infections confirmed
The World Health Organization said Friday that six of eight suspected hantavirus cases linked to the cruise had so far been confirmed.
According to DR News, an American and a French passenger have now also tested positive after being evacuated from Tenerife and placed in isolation.
Three people connected to the outbreak have died: a Dutch couple and a German woman.
Global quarantine measures
Passengers from multiple countries are now being monitored or isolated following the outbreak.
The report stated that Spain plans to place affected passengers in a military hospital in Madrid, while American travellers will quarantine at a specialist facility in Omaha, Nebraska.
British passengers are expected to remain in a hospital near Liverpool.
Andes virus concern
Health officials believe the outbreak involves the Andes strain of hantavirus, which differs from most variants because it can spread between humans.
Hantavirus is usually transmitted through exposure to infected rodent urine, saliva or droppings.
DR News noted that symptoms can take up to six weeks to appear after infection.
The World Health Organization has recommended a 42-day quarantine period for exposed passengers, although countries are applying different isolation rules depending on local health policies.
Sources: DR News, El País, Reuters, World Health Organization.
