French health minister confirms first hantavirus case among MV Hondius evacuees
The luxury cruise ship MV Hondius is linked to a deadly outbreak that has claimed three lives, with repatriation operations continuing as the vessel prepares to sail for the Netherlands.
French Health Minister Stéphanie Rist has confirmed that a French national evacuated from the luxury cruise ship MV Hondius has tested positive for hantavirus. This diagnosis marks the first confirmed case of the disease in France directly linked to the ongoing outbreak aboard the vessel. The passenger, one of five French nationals repatriated to Paris for isolation, began experiencing symptoms on Sunday night before testing positive on Monday.
While the initial results for the other four French passengers returned negative, health authorities have scheduled them for re-testing to ensure no further infections are missed. The confirmation of this case adds to the severity of the situation, as the ship is already associated with a deadly outbreak that has resulted in three deaths among passengers, including a Dutch couple and a German woman.
The vessel, which departed from Argentina in April, is currently undergoing a complex repatriation operation involving passengers of various nationalities. Flights continue to destinations including Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States, while the ship itself is expected to depart for the Netherlands on Monday evening carrying approximately 30 crew members.
In response to the confirmed infection, French officials have identified 22 contact cases within the country. The World Health Organization has recommended a 42-day quarantine and active follow-up for those exposed, noting that the only transmissible form of the virus, the Andes virus, has been confirmed among the positive cases.
Despite the confirmed cases and fatalities, international health officials have insisted that the risk to global public health remains low. The French minister noted that there are currently no vaccines or specific treatments available for hantavirus, a disease that is endemic to the region where the cruise began its journey.
As the operation to evacuate the remaining passengers concludes, authorities in the Canary Islands have maintained that the ship will not dock in Tenerife but will instead depart under strict conditions to prevent any contact with the local population.
