Spain reports new hantavirus case in passenger evacuated from cruise ship as outbreak grows to 11
Health officials say the rare Andes variant has spread among passengers and crew, with 3 deaths and more cases possible after a 42-day incubation period.
- On Tuesday, health officials confirmed 11 hantavirus cases linked to the MV Hondius cruise ship, including three deaths, as evacuation efforts concluded in Tenerife, Spain.
- Unlike typical hantavirus spread from rodent droppings, the Andes virus detected on the vessel can rarely transmit between humans; World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned that new cases may emerge in the coming weeks given the 42-day incubation period.
- Spain's Health Ministry reported Tuesday that a passenger evacuated to Madrid tested positive for the virus while in quarantine; numerous nations instituted active monitoring requiring daily health checks either at home or in specialized facilities.
- Eighteen American passengers evacuated to facilities in Nebraska and Georgia remain under observation, with some placed in biocontainment units "out of an abundance of caution," the Department of Health and Human Services said.
- The Hondius is currently sailing to Rotterdam, Netherlands, for cleaning after completing repatriation of passengers from over 20 countries, with the remaining 27 crew members expected to arrive on May 17.
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WHO confirmed 11 cases of hantavirus and called on the countries to follow guidelines for the possibility of further contagion.
Hantavirus cases rise to 11 as cruise ship passengers quarantine
A total of 11 hantavirus cases have been confirmed as of Tuesday morning, with global health officials warning that the number could rise, as one American who was on the deadly cruise ship revealed new details from his quarantine room.
Nine passengers have been tested positively for the virus, and two more are expected to be infected. Nevertheless, the risk of a major outbreak remains low, says WHO head Ghebreyesus.
Associated Press News
Spain reports new hantavirus case in passenger from cruise ship as confirmed infections grow to 9
Spain's health ministry says a Spanish passenger evacuated from the cruise ship at the center of a hantavirus outbreak has tested positive for the virus.
While France has announced that it is taking "very strict" measures to "break the transmission lines", several countries have announced that they are isolating passengers from the ship where a hotspot of hantavirus has been declared. Here is what we know about the different protocols put in place, country by country.
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