By Ogungbayi Adeyemi S. | adeyemi@ddnewsonline.com
Editor, DDNews |
A French woman and an American man have tested positive for hantavirus infections as countries intensify efforts to repatriate passengers from the MV Hondius cruise ship hit by a deadly outbreak.
French Health Minister Stephanie Rist confirmed on Monday that a French passenger who was on board the ship tested positive for the virus, with her condition reportedly deteriorating.
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“What is key is to act at the start and break the virus transmission chains,” Rist told France Inter radio, pointing to a new decree that strengthens isolation measures for contact cases.
Another four French passengers have tested negative so far, while authorities have identified 22 contact cases.
The US Department of Health and Human Services announced on Sunday that an American passenger on a repatriation flight tested “mildly positive” for the virus, while another showed mild symptoms. Both were isolated in the plane’s biocontainment units, and all 17 MV Hondius passengers on board will undergo clinical assessment upon arrival in the United States.
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The two new cases bring the total number of confirmed infections to 10. The World Health Organization (WHO) has confirmed two deaths and one probable death, with four people currently hospitalised, one in intensive care in South Africa.
The Dutch-flagged MV Hondius was anchored near Tenerife in Spain’s Canary Islands after being stranded for weeks due to the outbreak. Health authorities have been tracking and monitoring passengers who disembarked before the virus was identified.
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Investigations into the source of the outbreak are still ongoing.
The evacuation of remaining passengers is expected to be completed on Monday, with flights to Australia and the Netherlands. Spain’s health minister said one flight to Australia will carry six passengers from Tenerife, while another to the Netherlands will take 18 passengers. Both flights will also include passengers from other countries that did not organise separate repatriation flights.
Hantaviruses can cause severe respiratory illness and are typically spread by rodents, though human-to-human transmission is rare. Symptoms usually appear between one and eight weeks after exposure and include fever, headaches, chills, gastrointestinal issues, and respiratory distress.
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The fatality rate for the Andes strain of hantavirus identified in the outbreak can reach 40 to 50 percent, particularly among the elderly.
The WHO has recommended a 42-day quarantine period for passengers from the ship. Experts have urged calm, noting that the virus is far less contagious than COVID-19.
Robin May, chief scientific officer at the United Kingdom Health Security Agency, described the risk to the public as “extremely low.”
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By Ogungbayi Adeyemi S. (Beedee)
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