Monkeypox: WHO Approves Captain's Disembarkation from MV Hondius

The captain of the cruise ship MV Hondius, which experienced a monkeypox outbreak, has been permitted to disembark by the World Health Organization (WHO). Captain Jan Dobrogowski, who had been on board since the ship departed Ushuaia, Argentina, on April 1st, arrived in Rotterdam, Netherlands, on May 18th.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus announced that Captain Dobrogowski was leaving the vessel, confirming he had not presented any symptoms of monkeypox. Tedros expressed deep gratitude to the captain for his cooperation and leadership during what he described as an "extraordinary and frightening journey."

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I received the last message from Captain Jan Dobrogowski, who is finally leaving the cruise ship MV Hondius today (Saturday). He continues to show no symptoms of monkeypox.

The cruise ship had previously stopped in the Canary Islands, where over 120 passengers disembarked. Since the initial detection of the outbreak on May 2nd, the WHO has reported a total of 12 suspected and confirmed monkeypox cases among those on board, including three fatalities.

Authorities confirmed a new case on Friday involving a crew member who had disembarked in Tenerife and later returned to the Netherlands. This individual is currently hospitalized as a precautionary measure. The WHO continues to monitor more than 600 contacts across 30 countries, identifying a small number of high-risk individuals who still need to be located.

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I am deeply grateful to Jan for his cooperation and leadership as he navigated the ship on an extraordinary and frightening journey. Thank you, dear Jan, for bringing your passengers to safety.