Health officials in Europe and the United States have confirmed new hantavirus infections linked to the cruise ship MV Hondius, raising fresh concerns after multiple deaths connected to the outbreak. A French woman and an American passenger tested positive after being evacuated from the vessel, which carried tourists from more than 20 countries before emergency operations began in Spain’s Canary Islands.
Highlights
- Two evacuated passengers have tested positive for hantavirus.
- The outbreak has already been linked to three deaths.
- American passengers were transferred to a specialized medical center in Nebraska.
- Officials say the public risk remains low despite concerns over the Andes strain.
- Health agencies are monitoring close contacts of infected passengers.
Main Story
New Cases Raise Alarm After Cruise Ship Evacuation
Authorities in France and the United States have confirmed additional hantavirus infections among passengers who were aboard the MV Hondius, a Dutch-operated cruise ship recently evacuated in Tenerife.
The latest confirmed cases involve a French national and an American traveler who both tested positive after leaving the vessel. Health experts say the developments have intensified monitoring efforts, especially because the outbreak has already claimed several lives.
Deaths Linked to the Outbreak
The virus outbreak aboard the ship has so far been associated with the deaths of a Dutch couple and a German woman. Passengers from over 20 countries had been traveling on the expedition cruise before emergency medical evacuations were carried out in Spain’s Canary Islands.
French health authorities revealed that the infected French passenger became seriously ill during a repatriation flight to Paris after showing symptoms while traveling.
American Passengers Under Observation
In the United States, officials confirmed that one passenger tested mildly positive for the Andes strain of hantavirus. According to reports, the person has not displayed symptoms so far.
Another American passenger is also being monitored after developing mild symptoms linked to the virus.
Both individuals were transported to the University of Nebraska Medical Center, a facility known for handling high-risk infectious diseases during global outbreaks such as Ebola and COVID-19.
Why Health Experts Are Watching Closely
While hantavirus infections are usually linked to exposure to infected rodents, the Andes strain involved in this case has attracted global attention because it carries a rare possibility of human-to-human transmission.
The World Health Organization and other public health agencies maintain that the danger to the wider public remains low. However, authorities are actively tracing and monitoring individuals who had close contact with infected passengers.
Medical experts continue to study the outbreak as investigations into the source and spread of the infection continue.
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