Hantavirus Cases Confirmed in US and France After Cruise Ship Outbreak
Health authorities in the United States and France have confirmed new hantavirus infections in passengers who recently disembarked from the cruise ship MV Hondius, which has been linked to a deadly outbreak affecting multiple countries.
According to officials, an American and a French national tested positive after returning to their home countries following evacuation from the vessel. A second US passenger also showed mild symptoms during repatriation, with all American citizens transported under strict medical supervision in biocontainment units as a precautionary measure.
French health authorities confirmed that a female passenger is currently isolating in Paris, where her condition is reported to be worsening. Contact tracing has identified at least 22 individuals linked to her case.
The outbreak has so far resulted in at least three confirmed deaths, including a Dutch couple and a German woman who travelled aboard the ship. Health experts say two of the fatalities have been laboratory confirmed as hantavirus cases.
The MV Hondius, which remains docked in Spain’s Canary Islands, is in the process of repatriating more than 90 passengers as investigations continue.
The United States Department of Health and Human Services confirmed that 17 American citizens flown home will undergo further clinical evaluation in Nebraska, while several others have already returned to their respective states for monitoring.
Health agencies across Europe, the US, and other regions have coordinated evacuation and quarantine measures, with passengers arriving in countries including the United Kingdom, Spain, the Netherlands, and Australia placed under varying levels of medical observation.
The World Health Organization has advised a 42-day isolation period for those exposed, although US health officials have said human-to-human transmission remains rare and stressed that the situation should not be compared to COVID-19.
Passengers aboard the cruise were earlier seen wearing protective medical gear as they disembarked in Tenerife amid heightened containment procedures.
Investigations are ongoing into the source of the outbreak, with preliminary findings suggesting possible exposure in South America prior to the ship’s departure. Despite growing concern, officials maintain that the risk of a large-scale global outbreak remains low.
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