Hantavirus cruise ship passenger reports symptoms on flight home | World | News

The French Prime Minister has confirmed that one of the French passengers on hantavirus cruise ships is now reporting symptoms. The traveler, along with four other French people, showed symptoms of the virus during the repatriation flight, and all of them are now “in strict isolation until further notice”.

Sébastien Lecornu wrote about

“They are receiving medical care and will undergo testing and a full health assessment.

“Starting this evening, I will issue a decree to implement appropriate isolation measures for close contacts and protect the general population. The Minister of Health will speak this evening.”

MV Hondius, with more than 140 passengers and crew on board, was directed to the Canary Islands by European health authorities and the World Health Organization (WHO) after it did not dock in the Cape Verde Islands.

The outbreak has led to three deaths so far, and five passengers who had previously abandoned the ship were found to have contracted hantavirus.

However, the World Health Organization (WHO), Spanish authorities and cruise line Oceanwide Expeditions have confirmed that no one currently on board Hondius is showing symptoms of the virus.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Spanish Health Minister Monica Garcia and Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska arrived in Tenerife on Saturday to help calm locals and coordinate disembarkation efforts.

Mr Ghebreyesus made a direct statement to reassure the people of Tenerife that “this is not another Covid” and that the public health risk of contracting hantavirus remains very low.