US, French Evacuees From Hantavirus-Stricken Cruise Ship Test Positive
An American citizen and a French woman evacuated from the virus-hit cruise ship MV Hondius have tested positive for hantavirus, authorities confirmed, as international evacuation efforts continued in Spain’s Canary Islands.
The Dutch-flagged expedition vessel has drawn global attention after three passengers died following an outbreak of the rare and potentially deadly virus. The ship has been anchored near Granadilla de Abona on the Spanish island of Tenerife.
According to French Health Minister Stephanie Rist, one of five French evacuees placed in isolation in Paris began feeling unwell on Sunday night and later tested positive for the virus.
Meanwhile, US health authorities said an American passenger evacuated from the ship had tested positive for the Andes virus strain, the only known form of hantavirus capable of spreading between humans. Officials said the passenger experienced only mild symptoms.
Spain’s health ministry defended the strict health protocols used during Sunday’s evacuation of 94 passengers from 19 countries. Medical teams reportedly escorted evacuees from the ship to airports under close supervision and after health screenings.
Spanish officials stated that the French patient developed symptoms during the flight rather than while still aboard the ship. Authorities also said the American passenger showed no symptoms during the ship’s earlier stop in Cape Verde but was later treated as a confirmed positive case by US officials and evacuated separately.
Global Monitoring Underway
According to the World Health Organization and national health agencies, eight confirmed infections and two probable cases have been linked to the outbreak so far, involving citizens from six countries.
Health officials in multiple countries are now tracing passengers and close contacts, including travelers who may have shared flights with infected individuals.
French authorities identified 22 additional close contacts among French nationals, including passengers on flights between Saint Helena and Johannesburg, as well as between Johannesburg and Amsterdam.
A Dutch passenger who later died from hantavirus had reportedly traveled on those routes and briefly boarded a flight to Amsterdam before being removed prior to departure.
Ship to Return to the Netherlands
Spanish official Angel Victor Torres said two final repatriation flights to Australia and the Netherlands were expected to conclude the evacuation process for most passengers and crew members.
After refueling operations in Tenerife, the MV Hondius was scheduled to depart for the Netherlands with a reduced skeleton crew.
The cruise ship originally departed from Argentina on April 1 for an Atlantic voyage to Cape Verde. The World Health Organization believes the initial infection occurred before the journey began, followed by human-to-human transmission onboard.
However, Argentine health officials have questioned whether the outbreak truly originated in the southern city of Ushuaia, citing the virus’s incubation period and other epidemiological factors.
