US travel blogger comes to defense of hantavirus-struck cruise ship and says vessel is clean with strong biosecurity

An American travel blogger stuck aboard the hantavirus-stricken cruise ship defended the vessel’s cleanliness, stating that the ship is “maintained to a very high standard.”

Three people have died, and several others have fallen ill on the MV Hondius following the outbreak of hantavirus, a rare, rodent-borne illness. Global health authorities suspect the first person caught the virus before boarding the ship, and later transmitted it to other passengers.

Only two cases of the virus, which is passed from rodents to humans through their droppings, have been confirmed by health authorities, and officials maintain that the risk to global health is low.

Travel blogger Jake Rosmarin has been documenting his time aboard the illness-stricken ship, telling The Independent in a statement that aside from the two confirmed cases, the other passengers on board are “doing well” and remain “in good spirits.”

Rosmarin noted that the MV Hondius is an expedition vessel, not an average cruise ship, and is held to a higher standard of cleanliness due to the types of trips it takes.

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“These ships operate with strict protocols and a strong emphasis on cleanliness, especially given the remote and environmentally sensitive regions they visit, which require high levels of biosecurity,” Rosmarin said.

“The vessel is maintained to a very high standard, and suggestions that it is unclear are not accurate,” he added.

Rosmarin went on to note the safety measures in place on the ship, which include social distancing and masking. Passengers can also receive meals delivered directly to their cabins to avoid the potential spread of germs.

“Access to the outer deck is permitted for fresh air, while gathering in indoor common areas such as the lounge is currently restricted,” he continued.

“We continue to be well cared for, and additional medical provisions and supplies have been brought on board,” he added.

Rosmarin, who has over 50,000 followers on Instagram, shared a teary video update on the situation on Monday, telling his followers that the passengers stuck on the ship are “not just a story.”

“We’re people. People with families, with lives, with people waiting for us at home,” he said. “There’s a lot of uncertainty, and that’s the hardest part.”

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There are 149 passengers stuck aboard the MV Hondius, including four British passengers and four British crew.

A British crew member and a Dutch colleague were expected to be medically evacuated from the ship on Tuesday, while the rest of the ship’s passengers were expected to continue to be stuck on board for several more days.

Operator Oceanwide Expeditions said that three people, two needing urgent care and a person associated with the guest who died on May 2, will be evacuated to the Netherlands.

The ship will then set sail for the Canary Islands, which will take three days of sailing. It was not immediately clear when the passengers would be allowed to get off the ship.

The World Health Organization said there are two confirmed and five suspected hantavirus cases on the cruise ship so far.

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