Health & Lifestyle
WHO Confirms 11 Hantavirus Cases Linked to Cruise Vessel
WHO Confirms 11 Cases Linked to Cruise Ship as Europe Intensifies Emergency Response
A Spanish passenger evacuated from the cruise ship MV Hondius at the centre of a hantavirus outbreak has tested positive for the virus, according to Spain’s health ministry.
The infected passenger is currently being kept in quarantine at a military hospital in Madrid as health authorities continue monitoring possible transmission linked to the cruise.
With the evacuation of all passengers and many crew members completed, the MV Hondius is now returning to Netherlands, where the vessel will undergo extensive cleaning and disinfection procedures.
The World Health Organization has confirmed 11 hantavirus cases connected to the outbreak, including three fatalities among cruise passengers.
In Paris, a French woman evacuated from the ship remains in intensive care but is reported to be in stable condition. French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said the government was holding two emergency meetings to review the evolving health situation.
Meanwhile, health authorities in the Netherlands have ordered 12 staff members at a Dutch hospital to quarantine after they reportedly mishandled bodily fluids from an infected patient.
Officials say this is the first recorded hantavirus outbreak linked to a cruise ship. While there is currently no specific cure or vaccine for hantavirus, the WHO has stressed that early diagnosis and prompt medical treatment can significantly improve survival chances.