Spain says a passenger evacuated from the MV Hondius has tested positive for hantavirus as countries monitor travelers from the outbreak-hit cruise ship.
Spain has confirmed a hantavirus infection in a Spanish passenger evacuated from the MV Hondius, the Dutch-flagged cruise ship at the center of a deadly outbreak that has prompted quarantines across several countries.
The man is one of 14 Spaniards being quarantined at a military hospital in Madrid after they were removed from the ship on Sunday, Spain’s Ministry of Health said. The other 13 tested negative, according to the ministry.
“The patient who provisionally tested positive for hantavirus yesterday has been confirmed as positive,” the ministry said Tuesday. It said the patient had a slight fever and minor respiratory symptoms on Monday but was stable and showed no clear clinical deterioration.
The World Health Organization has confirmed 11 cases linked to the outbreak, including three deaths among people from the cruise. Nine of the confirmed cases involved the Andes variant, a rare form of hantavirus that usually spreads among rodents but can be transmitted between people, the WHO said. There is no vaccine or specific treatment, though health authorities say early detection and medical care improve the chances of survival.
The outbreak has drawn international attention because health authorities say it is the first known hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship. The MV Hondius had 87 passengers and 35 crew members evacuated, with travelers flown or transferred to their home countries for monitoring or quarantine.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the number of cases had changed little over the past week because of coordination among governments and partners. “At the moment, there is no sign that we are seeing the start of a larger outbreak,” he said. “But of course the situation could change, and given the long incubation period of the virus, it’s possible we might see more cases in the coming weeks.”
The WHO has advised returning passengers to remain in quarantine, either at home or in hospitals, for 42 days. Countries may handle monitoring differently for nationals who return from the ship without symptoms.
Other countries are also tracking cases and exposures tied to the ship. A French woman evacuated from the Hondius remained in intensive care in Paris in stable condition, while French officials held emergency meetings on Tuesday. In the Netherlands, a hospital quarantined 12 staff members for six weeks as a precaution after blood and urine samples from a cruise-linked hantavirus patient were improperly handled.
The ship is now sailing back to the Netherlands, where it is expected to undergo cleaning and disinfection. Health authorities have said the broader public risk remains low, but the long incubation period means officials are watching for additional cases among evacuated passengers and crew.
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