health
May 11, 2026
WHO Chief recommends 42-day quarantine for MV Hondius ship evacuees
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus noted that the WHO provides, but does not impose, its recommendations on member countries
TL;DR
- Passengers evacuated from the MV Hondius cruise ship are recommended to undergo a 42-day quarantine.
- The recommendation follows an outbreak of the Andes hantavirus on the ship.
- The WHO provides recommendations but does not impose them on member countries.
- The cruise ship had approximately 150 passengers, mostly from the US, UK, Spain, and the Netherlands.
- Hantaviruses can cause severe illnesses like hantavirus pulmonary syndrome and hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome.
- Transmission occurs through contact with rodents, particularly their urine, droppings, and saliva.