France Reports First Case of Hantavirus on Virus-Linked Cruise Ship: Updates on MV Hondius Outbreak
France reported its first case of hantavirus as a French national aboard a virus-linked ship tested positive for the disease. Health authorities identified 22 hantavirus contact cases in France. The cruise ship at the centre of the outbreak, MV Hondius, had three deaths and several other cases of the rare disease. The operation to repatriate passengers of the ship continued, with evacuations of passengers from various nationalities ongoing. The ship is expected to depart for the Netherlands with a reduced crew on Monday evening. Passengers were seen disembarking the vessel in medical suits and boarding repatriation flights to various countries. The World Health Organization recommends a 42-day quarantine and active follow-up for those potentially exposed to hantavirus. Evacuees from the ship are being quarantined in different countries, with varying durations of isolation. The only hantavirus type transmissible between humans, the Andes virus, has been confirmed among those who tested positive, raising international concern. The outbreak is believed to have started before the cruise began, with transmission occurring among passengers onboard the ship. Health authorities in multiple countries are monitoring passengers who disembarked and potential contacts.