A Dutch hospital has placed 12 employees in a six-week quarantine after a protocol breach involving a patient infected with hantavirus. The incident occurred at Radboud University Medical Center in Nijmegen, Netherlands, following the admission of a patient linked to the deadly outbreak aboard the MV Hondius luxury cruise ship.
The hospital stated the patient's blood and urine were not processed using the strictest international protocols required for the specific hantavirus strain. Although the risk of infection is low, the hospital is taking precautionary measures. Dutch Health Minister Sophie Hermans addressed Parliament, confirming that while strict procedures were followed, they were not the strictest applicable.
This incident is part of a broader hantavirus outbreak that began when the MV Hondius departed Argentina on April 1. The World Health Organization reports 11 cases and three deaths. The outbreak is believed to have originated from a passenger exposed to rodents before boarding. Passengers were evacuated in Spain's Canary Islands on May 10 and repatriated for a 42-day isolation period.