The cruise ship involved in the deadly hantavirus outbreak has been cleared to set sail from later this month.
Oceanwide Expeditions confirmed in a statement that all voyages “from 13 June onwards will proceed as scheduled”.
The expedition cruise operator added: “No further disruption to the sailing schedule of m/v Hondius is expected.”
In April, MV Hondius was on a sailing from Argentina to Cape Verde when it was hit by a severe outbreak of hantavirus.
Three deaths and 13 confirmed cases have been linked to the outbreak since the rodent-borne illness was first reported.
Hantaviruses are a group of viruses carried by rodents such as mice and rats and transmitted through their droppings and urine.
MV Hondius’ planned departure from the port of Rotterdam to Vlissingen was previously delayed following advice from GGD Rotterdam for additional cleaning procedures.
The Dutch public health service said in an update on 30 May: “From a public health perspective, there are no longer any obstacles to putting the ship Hondius into operation. This is evident from the final inspection of the ship on Friday, May 29.
“During this targeted inspection, infection prevention experts from the GGD Rotterdam-Rijnmond determined that the Hondius has been effectively cleaned and that the disinfection has been completed in accordance with the established guidelines.”
Symptoms of hantavirus, including fever, chills and muscle aches, usually show between one and eight weeks after contact with an infected rodent.
Crew members from the original voyage were escorted to quarantine facilities on Saturday, and Captain Jan Dobrogowski travelled to Poland via specialised transport, said Oceanwide Expeditions.
It added that some Dutch staff had returned home to quarantine where appropriate.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) ordered 20 British nationals, along with one German national who is a UK resident and one Japanese passenger from the MV Hondius, to quarantine at Arrowe Park Hospital on the Wirral on 10 May.
As of 26 May, 10 individuals had left Arrowe Park.
“An additional 6 individuals left Arrowe Park over the weekend and returned home or to other suitable accommodation to complete their 45-day isolation period,” said UKHSA.
Read more: Brit hospitalised with hantavirus in the Netherlands after cruise ship outbreak returns to UK
