12 healthcare workers – employees of the Radboud University Medical Center in Nijmegen (Gelderland province) in the Netherlands violated safety measures when contacting a patient infected with hantavirus.
Healthcare workers were placed under a six-week quarantine, reports the Hart van Nederland portal.
It was revealed that the clinic did not fully comply with safety protocols: the blood of the infected was processed using a simplified scheme, and the disposal of hazardous biological materials did not meet international standards.
The patient, whose hantavirus test from May 7 was positive, is under medical supervision. Meanwhile, the situation on the ship remains severe. Currently, the virus has been detected in eight people: three have died, and another patient is in critical condition.
On the evening of May 11, the vessel left the Canary Islands and headed for the Netherlands. The situation is complicated by the long incubation period of the hantavirus (up to several weeks), which means new cases may emerge after arrival at the port. There are about 150 people on board — citizens of the United Kingdom, Spain, the United States, and the Netherlands.
