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The European Commission has stepped up its coordination with member states to respond to the hantavirus outbreak on board MV Hondius, a Dutch luxury cruise sailing to Spain, while insisting the risks to the general population remain “low”.
A meeting of the so-called Health Security Committee, which brings together healthcare representatives from all across the bloc, took place on Wednesday. On Thursday, the Commission held two separate meetings: first with the Dutch and Spanish authorities and then with all member states that have, or had, nationals on board.
“As the evidence stands, according to the current situation, there is no cause for concern at the moment,” Eva Hrncirova, the Commission’s spokesperson for health, said on Thursday afternoon during a press briefing.
“The risk for the public in Europe, the risk for the Europeans, is low. The health of the citizens in Europe is our absolute priority, and this obviously applies in this case.”
The coordination efforts also include the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), which has deployed an expert to the ship, and the World Health Organisation (WHO), the spokesperson added.
Meanwhile, Spain has activated the EU’s Civil Protection Mechanism, which helps mobilise assistance among member states to deal with emergencies.
“We are assessing the modalities and the needs of Spain, and we are discussing what kind of assistance could be provided,” Hrncirova said.
According to data released by Oceanwide Expeditions, the company that operates the MV Hondius, the ship originally carried 149 people – 88 passengers and 61 crew members – when it left Argentina on 1 April.
Spain, France, Germany, Greece, the Netherlands, Belgium, Ireland, Poland and Portugal are the EU countries with nationals on board.
So far, the WHO has reported eight cases of hantavirus, including three deaths.
Around 40 passengers disembarked in Santa Helena, where the ship stopped before heading to Cape Verde. Contact tracing is underway to locate them.
MV Hondius is travelling to the Canary Islands after the Spanish government offered humanitarian and medical assistance. Local authorities, however, oppose the reception.
Hantavirus refers to a group of viruses carried by rodents, primarily transmitted to humans through inhalation of airborne particles from dried rodent droppings.
The WHO says human-to-human hantavirus infections are “unusual”, and the current outbreak cannot be compared to COVID-19 or influenza.
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