Dutch health authorities have confirmed that all 26 passengers and crew members evacuated from the virus-hit MV Hondius aboard the first repatriation flight to the Netherlands tested negative for hantavirus.
Gatekeepers News reports that the evacuation flight from Tenerife landed in the Netherlands on Sunday night following growing international concern over the outbreak linked to the cruise ship, where three people reportedly died during the voyage.
According to the Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, all evacuees underwent extensive medical screening immediately after arrival.
“Samples were taken from everyone at the airport for laboratory testing. The test result was negative,” the institute said in a statement.
The agency added that no trace of the Andean strain of the virus — known for its potential human-to-human transmission — was detected among the passengers.
“This means that no Andean virus was detected in these individuals,” the statement added.
Despite the negative results, Dutch authorities said the evacuees would still be required to observe quarantine measures as a precaution.
Two additional repatriation flights later arrived in the Netherlands with 28 more evacuees from the ship, who are also expected to undergo quarantine and medical checks.
The Agence France-Presse reported the development on Tuesday.
