Four of the five Ukrainian crew members aboard the MV Hondius will stay on the ship to guide it to the Netherlands after a hantavirus outbreak claimed three lives, as reported by Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry on May 11. The four Ukrainians are currently healthy and will remain with the crew during the vessel’s transit. Upon arrival in the Netherlands, they will undergo medical supervision and quarantine.
The fifth crew member will be evacuated and transported to the Netherlands on a special flight. Ukrainian consular officials are in contact with this individual, and the situation is being closely monitored by Ukraine’s Consular Service and diplomatic missions in the Netherlands and Spain.
The hantavirus outbreak occurred while the ship was operating in the Atlantic Ocean. Reports indicate that three individuals died during the voyage, which included a stop where six additional passengers boarded. The MV Hondius had departed from Ushuaia on March 20 and was scheduled to conclude its expedition in Cape Verde on May 4.
Hantavirus is a rare but potentially severe viral illness typically transmitted through contact with infected rodents or their droppings, with symptoms ranging from flu-like to serious respiratory complications.
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