Hantavirus: International Cases Rise as Cruise Ship Passengers Return Home

GENEVA, Switzerland — Health authorities in the United States and France have confirmed new cases of hantavirus among passengers repatriated from a cruise ship hit by a deadly outbreak.

The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Monday that seven cases linked to the MV Hondius have now been confirmed, with a further two suspected. The outbreak has already claimed three lives, though only two of those deaths have been officially confirmed as the virus.

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Repatriation and Isolation

As more than 90 passengers are flown home from Spain’s Canary Islands, health departments are on high alert:

• United States: One American has tested positive, while a second passenger is showing mild symptoms. Both were transported in “biocontainment units” as a precaution.
• France: Health Minister Stéphanie Rist confirmed a French woman is in isolation in Paris. Her condition is reportedly deteriorating, and officials have traced 22 close contacts.
• Global Treatment: Two British nationals are currently receiving treatment in the Netherlands and South Africa.

The Source of the Outbreak

The WHO believes the passengers contracted the Andes strain of hantavirus while in South America. While hantaviruses are typically carried by rodents, the Andes strain is rare because it allows for human-to-human transmission.

Symptoms of the virus include:

• High fever and extreme fatigue.
• Muscle aches and stomach pain.
• Shortness of breath, vomiting, and diarrhoea.

Despite the fatalities and international spread, health officials insist the risk of a wider, major outbreak remains “very low.”

The Final Passengers

The MV Hondius is currently docked in Tenerife, where Spanish Health Minister Mónica García confirmed that 54 people remain on board. This group includes six passengers from Australia, Britain, and New Zealand.

A group of 22 people is expected to disembark today for a flight to the Netherlands. This includes the Australian contingent, who were rerouted after their direct flight home could not be guaranteed.

The ship is scheduled to depart the Canary Islands for the Netherlands later on Monday, marking the end of a voyage that has turned into a cross-continental health crisis.