Hantavirus Outbreak: Evacuated Passengers Test Positive Amid Complex Repatriation Efforts

A French woman and an American national evacuated from a cruise ship linked to a deadly hantavirus outbreak have tested positive for the virus, as efforts to repatriate those aboard continue. The French woman, one of five passengers disembarked in Tenerife, was flown to a hospital in Paris, where French Health Minister Stéphanie Rist confirmed she is in serious condition. Reports indicate she began feeling unwell on Sunday night, and subsequent tests confirmed the hantavirus infection. Rist expressed concern over her worsening symptoms during an interview with France Inter radio, stating that she is being treated in a specialized infectious diseases unit. The American passenger evacuated to Nebraska, despite testing positive, is asymptomatic. The U.S. health department noted that this individual contracted the Andes strain, the only hantavirus strain known to be transmissible between humans. The evacuation operation began on Sunday, with personnel dressed in full protective gear managing the transfer of passengers from the MV Hondius cruise ship to shore in Tenerife. Over 100 individuals from 23 different nationalities are expected to be evacuated within a span of 48 hours, a complex operation described by Spanish authorities as unprecedented. Tragically, three passengers from the MV Hondius, including a Dutch couple and a German woman, have died, while others have reported sickness associated with the rare virus, typically transmitted by rodents. Although health officials maintain that the risk to global public health remains low, they caution against making comparisons to the COVID-19 pandemic. Rist revealed that contact tracing efforts have identified 22 more cases among French nationals related to the outbreak. This includes individuals who traveled on a flight between Saint Helena and Johannesburg, as well as others who boarded a Johannesburg-Amsterdam flight, where the Dutch woman who later died was briefly present before being removed. The French Prime Minister, Sébastien Lecornu, has scheduled a meeting with medical advisers and ministers to address the situation. Government spokesperson Maud Bregeon emphasized the importance of preventing panic, highlighting ongoing vigilance with a 42-day isolation period mandated for identified contacts, aimed at safeguarding the French population. The evacuation operation is part of an effort that succeeded in repatriating 94 individuals from 19 different countries on Sunday, as Spanish Health Minister Mónica García reported. The operation aims to return the cruise’s remaining over 150 passengers and crew members, which includes representatives from 23 nations, by Monday. Passengers have been systematically disembarking the Dutch-flagged vessel to a designated port on Tenerife, where they board Spanish army buses to the airport for their respective repatriation flights. The World Health Organization supports a 42-day quarantine along with active follow-ups, emphasizing daily symptom checks for those in potential contact with infected individuals. Related Sources: • Source 1 • Source 2 • Source 3 • Source 4