Spain Confirms Another Hantavirus Case in Cruise Ship Passenger
Al Jazeera Staff
Spain confirmed a new hantavirus case in a passenger evacuated from the MV Hondius cruise ship. The WHO reports 11 cases and 3 deaths linked to the vessel, with most involving the rare Andes strain. All 122 people have left the ship, and the vessel is returning to the Netherlands for decontamination.
Spain's Ministry of Health confirmed on May 12 that a Spanish passenger evacuated from the MV Hondius cruise ship had tested positive for hantavirus. The individual is among over 120 passengers and crew who have left the vessel, according to a ministry statement.
The patient is being isolated at a military hospital in Madrid, along with 13 other Spaniards also taken off the ship on Sunday. Initial test results for the group were all negative except for this patient.
“The patient who had a preliminary positive test for hantavirus yesterday has been confirmed positive,” the Spanish Health Ministry said. “Yesterday the patient had a mild fever and mild respiratory symptoms, but is currently stable with no clear signs of clinical deterioration.”
The World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed 11 hantavirus cases linked to the Dutch-flagged cruise ship, including 3 deaths. Nine of the 11 cases involve the Andes strain—a rare variant of the virus typically spread by rodents but capable of human-to-human transmission, with no vaccine or specific treatment available.
After evacuating all 87 passengers and 35 crew members, the cruise ship is returning to the Netherlands for thorough cleaning and disinfection. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said: “These numbers have remained largely unchanged over the past week thanks to the cooperation of many governments and partners. There is currently no sign of a larger outbreak. However, the situation may change and due to the long incubation period, we may see more cases in the coming weeks.”
In the Netherlands, a hospital has quarantined 12 healthcare workers for 6 weeks as a precaution after blood and urine samples from a hantavirus-infected patient from the cruise ship were mishandled. In Paris, a French woman evacuated from the ship remains in intensive care in stable condition. The French government held two emergency meetings on hantavirus on May 12, Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu said.
The WHO recommends that passengers returning from the cruise ship self-isolate at home or in hospital for 42 days. Countries may have different monitoring approaches for asymptomatic citizens returning from the ship. Health officials say this is the first hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship. Although there is no cure or vaccine, the WHO emphasizes that early detection and treatment can improve survival chances.
