12 employees of a hospital in the Netherlands have been placed in quarantine after failing to follow the protocol regarding a patient infected with hantavirus

The Radboudumc university hospital in Nijmegen, Netherlands, has placed 12 medical staff in preventive quarantine after they used a standard procedure instead of the strict protocol required for a patient infected with hantavirus, evacuated from the cruise ship MV Hondius. The incident occurred in the context of a hantavirus outbreak, which has generated international panic. Authorities have confirmed that international rules regarding the disposal of the patient's urine were not followed.

The 12 employees will remain in quarantine for six weeks, although the risk of infection is considered low. The patient is in isolation, and the hospital has announced that it will investigate the incident to prevent its recurrence. The hantavirus outbreak has led to the confirmation of at least seven cases and three deaths. The MV Hondius, registered in the Netherlands, will be completely disinfected upon arrival in Rotterdam. Authorities emphasize that the risk to the general population remains low.