PARIS – Recently, a French woman and two American passengers from a cruise ship tested positive for hantavirus. This news comes as countries around the world hurried to bring home travelers from the MV Hondius, which experienced an outbreak, and put measures in place for quarantine and isolation.
The passengers began their journey back home on military and government planes on Sunday, after the ship anchored off the coast of the Canary Islands. They were escorted from the ship to the shore in Tenerife by personnel wearing full-body protective gear and breathing masks, a process that continued into Monday.
The French woman, part of a group of five French passengers repatriated to Paris, tested positive for hantavirus and her condition worsened overnight while in the hospital, according to French Health Minister Stephanie Rist. She started showing symptoms during the flight back to Paris.
One of the 17 American passengers evacuated to Nebraska also tested positive but is currently asymptomatic, while another has mild symptoms. The U.S. health officials confirmed this late Sunday, stating that the flight landed early Monday morning, where buses and police vehicles were waiting.
Upon arrival, the Americans will be taken to the University of Nebraska Medical Center, which has a federally funded quarantine facility. Here, they will be assessed for close contact with symptomatic individuals and evaluated for their risk of spreading the virus.
Kayla Thomas, a spokesperson for Nebraska Medicine, explained that “one passenger will be transported to the Nebraska Biocontainment Unit upon arrival, while others will go to the National Quarantine Unit for assessment and monitoring.” The Biocontainment Unit is equipped for treating patients with highly infectious diseases.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has recommended close monitoring of the former passengers, and many countries have decided to quarantine them. Despite initial reports that none of the over 140 passengers aboard the Hondius were showing symptoms, health officials are taking precautions.
So far, three individuals have died since the outbreak began, and five others who left the ship earlier have been infected. However, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus reassured the public that the overall risk remains low, stating, “This is not another COVID. And the risk to the public is low. So they shouldn’t be scared, and they shouldn’t panic.”
Hantavirus typically spreads through rodent droppings and is not easily transmitted between humans. However, the Andes virus, identified in this outbreak, may have the potential to spread in rare cases. Symptoms can take between one and eight weeks to appear after exposure.
WHO suggests that countries of the passengers should have active monitoring and follow-up protocols, which may include daily health checks at home or in specialized facilities. Various nations have announced plans for quarantine or hospitalization of their returning citizens.
Australia is also sending a plane to evacuate its citizens and those from nearby countries, including New Zealand. Meanwhile, Dutch officials announced plans for additional flights to bring home more passengers from the Netherlands and other nations.
As the situation unfolds, health officials are emphasizing the importance of public health measures and the safety of everyone involved in the evacuation process.
