The captain of the cruise ship MV Hondius, which experienced an outbreak of hantavirus, is set to leave the vessel on Saturday, the World Health Organisation (WHO) director-general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, has confirmed.
The ship departed Ushuaia, Argentina, on 1 April and ended its voyage in Rotterdam, Netherlands, on 18 May. Along the way, it stopped at Spain’s Canary Islands, where more than 120 people were evacuated.
Tedros shared on social media that he had received a message from Captain Jan Dobrogowski, who was leaving the ship on Saturday. The captain reportedly showed no symptoms of hantavirus.
Tedros expressed his gratitude for Dobrogowski’s leadership during what he described as “an extraordinary and frightening journey,” thanking him for ensuring the safety of passengers.
Since the outbreak was first reported on 2 May, the WHO has documented 12 suspected and confirmed cases of hantavirus, including three fatalities.
A crew member who disembarked in Tenerife and was repatriated to the Netherlands was confirmed as a new hantavirus case on Friday and was hospitalised as a precaution.
During a press conference on Friday, Tedros stated that over 600 contacts of infected individuals are being monitored in 30 countries. A small number of high-risk contacts have yet to be traced.
