The deadly hantavirus outbreak aboard the expedition cruise ship MV Hondius is reviving painful memories for passengers who endured some of the earliest quarantines at sea in 2020, particularly survivors of the infamous .
on Sunday (May 10) after the vessel arrived near the Spanish island of Tenerife, marking the start of efforts to return travelers to their home countries.
The vessel had been sailing from Cape Verde to the Canary Islands.
during the outbreak, including two with confirmed cases of the Andes strain of and one probable case.
According to NBC News, former cruise passengers who lived through aboard ships say the unfolding situation feels hauntingly familiar.
Diamond Princess passengers relive fear and isolation
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AI powered insights from this story
What is hantavirus and how is it contracted on cruise ships like the MV Hondius?⌵
Hantavirus is typically contracted through contact with rodents, particularly their urine, droppings, or saliva. On the MV Hondius, the outbreak is believed to have originated from possible exposure to rodents during bird-watching activities conducted earlier in the voyage.
Why are passengers from the MV Hondius outbreak experiencing déjà vu regarding Covid-19 lockdowns?⌵
Passengers who were on the Diamond Princess cruise ship during the early Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 are experiencing similar feelings of fear and isolation. Both situations involved being confined to ships under strict quarantine measures due to outbreaks.
How does the Andes strain of hantavirus differ from other strains?⌵
The Andes strain of hantavirus is particularly concerning because it is the only known strain capable of spreading between humans. However, this human-to-human transmission generally requires very close contact.
What measures are being taken for passengers and crew disembarking from the MV Hondius?⌵
Passengers and crew are being evacuated and repatriated to their home countries, with some expected to undergo quarantine. For instance, US passengers are expected to quarantine at the National Quarantine Unit in Omaha, Nebraska.
Should people in Tenerife be concerned about the hantavirus outbreak from the MV Hondius?⌵
The WHO Director-General has urged calm, stating that the public health risk from this hantavirus outbreak remains low for the general population in Tenerife. Measures are in place to ensure disembarking passengers do not come into contact with the public.
Bill Smedley, a former passenger on the , said news of the Hondius outbreak immediately brought back traumatic memories of being trapped aboard a quarantined ship during the early days of the coronavirus pandemic.
“It sort of brought back terrible memories that we had because we had no idea the significance of what was happening to us,” Smedley, 72, was quoted as saying by the news outlet.
Smedley and his wife, Colette, reportedly boarded the in January 2020 for a 28-day birthday celebration cruise across Asia. The trip included stops in Japan, Vietnam, Hong Kong and Taiwan before everything changed after a passenger tested positive for .
“They didn’t let us off the ship that Monday morning like we were supposed to depart,” Smedley recalled . “And that Tuesday, they said, ‘Stay in your room and don’t come out.’”
The Diamond Princess later became one of the earliest large Covid-19 outbreaks outside mainland China, infecting more than 700 passengers and crew members.
Strict quarantine and panic onboard
As infections spread on the Diamond Princess, passengers were confined to cramped cabins under strict lockdown measures.
“Everybody was terrified,” Smedley told the news outlet. “The look on their faces. Nobody would talk to each other; we were in gloves and masks and everything like that.”
Rachel and Tyler Torres, newlyweds from Louisiana, were also aboard the Diamond Princess during the outbreak. Their honeymoon quickly turned into a quarantine nightmare.
Tyler Torres said that food trays were left outside cabin doors three times a day to minimize contact between staff and passengers.
“The general rule was that they would drop the tray at your door, but you weren’t allowed to open your door until they had walked away to minimize contact,” he was quoted as saying.
Rachel Torres added that staff members monitored hallways to ensure passengers stayed isolated inside their rooms.
The couple eventually returned to the United States in February 2020 but spent another two weeks in quarantine at a Texas Air Force base before being allowed home.
Hondius passengers face similar uncertainty
Passengers aboard the Hondius are now facing similar restrictions and uncertainty as health officials work to contain the hantavirus outbreak.
NBC News reported that US passengers returning from the ship are expected to quarantine at the National Quarantine Unit at the Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha. Spain’s Health Ministry has also issued quarantine protocols for passengers and crew who were aboard the vessel between April 1 and May 10.
WHO traces MV Hondius Hantavirus outbreak to possible rodent exposure
Health authorities are investigating a deadly hantavirus outbreak aboard the expedition cruise ship MV Hondiusthat triggered international quarantine measures.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the during bird-watching activities conducted earlier in the voyage.
Possible rodent exposure linked to first infection
The WHO said people typically contract through .
“The origin of the first case suggests possible exposure to rodents during bird watching activities,” the WHO said.
The cruise ship had departed from Ushuaia, Argentina, on April 1 before traveling toward Cape Verde and the Canary Islands.
Health officials said the Andes strain identified in the outbreak is especially concerning because it is the only known , although such transmission generally requires very close contact.
Cluster of respiratory illnesses reported
The WHO said that on May 2 — roughly one month after the ship departed Argentina — authorities were informed of “a cluster of passengers with severe respiratory illness” aboard the vessel.
At the time, there were 147 passengers and crew members still onboard, while another 34 individuals had already disembarked earlier during the voyage, according to the WHO.
The outbreak investigation intensified following multiple deaths linked to the illness.
Three deaths linked to outbreak
The first fatality was a Dutch passenger who died onboard on April 11. Oceanwide Expeditions, the operator of the MV Hondius, said at the time that “the cause of death was unknown and there was no evidence of a virus or contagion on board.”
His wife later died at a medical clinic in South Africa on April 26, according to the WHO.
A third passenger, a German woman, died onboard on May 2, health officials said.
Two days later, hantavirus infection was confirmed in another passenger who had been medically evacuated to a South African hospital, Oceanwide Expeditions said.
