French and US Evacuees From MV Hondius Test Positive for Hantavirus Amid Ongoing Repatriation Effort
A French woman and an American passenger evacuated from the MV Hondius have tested positive for hantavirus as authorities continue a large-scale operation to remove more than 100 people from the cruise ship linked to a deadly outbreak.
The Dutch-flagged vessel, which departed Argentina in April, has been at the center of a rare hantavirus outbreak that has already killed three passengers—a Dutch couple and a German woman. Several others have also fallen ill.
Hantavirus usually spreads through rodents, but health officials have said the strain involved in this outbreak is the Andes strain, the only known form of hantavirus capable of human-to-human transmission.
Despite the seriousness of the situation, authorities have stressed that the broader public health risk remains low and have cautioned against comparisons with the Covid-19 pandemic. There are currently no vaccines or specific treatments for hantavirus.
The French passenger was among five French nationals who left the ship in Tenerife on Sunday before being transported to a hospital in Paris. France’s health minister, Stéphanie Rist, said Monday that the woman was in serious condition after becoming very unwell Sunday night.
“Unfortunately, her symptoms worsened overnight,” Rist told France Inter radio, adding that “tests came back positive.” The woman is now receiving care in a specialized infectious diseases unit in Paris.
Spanish officials said the woman had not shown a high temperature when she was examined on board the MV Hondius. Spain’s health ministry said passengers were assessed and had their temperatures taken when the ship arrived off Tenerife on Sunday, adding that “all possible measures had been adopted from the start to cut possible chains of transmission.”
In the United States, one American passenger who was evacuated to Nebraska along with 16 others on Sunday evening also tested positive. The US health department said that the passenger had no symptoms. Officials also reported that another American evacuee had “mild symptoms.”
The evacuation from the Canary Islands began Sunday, with personnel in full-body protective suits and breathing masks escorting passengers from the ship to shore. Spanish authorities have described the operation, involving more than 100 people from 23 nationalities, as “complex” and “unprecedented.”
Passengers in blue protective suits were taken from the ship to the small industrial port of Granadilla on Tenerife, then transported by Spanish army buses in convoy to Tenerife South airport, where they boarded repatriation flights.
As passengers continued to leave the ship, MV Hondius captain Jan Dobrogowski thanked those onboard for their conduct during the outbreak.
“I’ve decided to take this time to thank every single guest and crew member onboard here, as well as our colleagues back home. The past few weeks have been extremely challenging to us all. What touched me the most, what moved me the most, was your patience, your discipline, and also [the] kindness that you showed to each other throughout.”
Spain’s health minister, Mónica García, said 94 people from 19 nationalities were evacuated on Sunday. Of the 54 people who remained on board, comprising 22 passengers and 32 crew members, 28 were expected to disembark on Monday and depart on two flights to the Netherlands. The MV Hondius was then expected to depart for the Netherlands on Monday evening with the remaining 26 crew members.
A separate flight planned for passengers returning to Australia was canceled because of timing issues. The six people who had been scheduled to take that flight—four Australians, one Briton who lives in Australia, and one New Zealand national—were instead expected to return through one of the Netherlands flights.
Health authorities in several countries have also been working to track passengers who had already left the ship, as well as anyone who may have come into contact with them.
In France, officials identified 22 nationals who may have been exposed to the virus. Rist said the group included eight people who had been on an April 25 flight from Saint Helena to Johannesburg, as well as 14 others who had traveled on a flight from Johannesburg to Amsterdam.
The Dutch woman who died from the virus had been on the Johannesburg flight. She later briefly boarded a flight to Amsterdam but got off before takeoff.
French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu was expected to convene medical advisers and ministers Monday afternoon to discuss the situation. Government spokesperson Maud Bregeon told BFMTV that officials were monitoring developments closely but warned against spreading fear.
“We’re following the situation with the greatest vigilance, on the basis that it is a virus that we know, that a 42-day isolation period has been decided, and the objective remains the same: protecting the French people.”
Bregeon added that it was important not to spread a sense of “panic.”
The World Health Organization has recommended a 42-day quarantine and “active follow-up” for those who may have been exposed. Maria Van Kerkhove, the WHO’s lead for epidemic and pandemic preparedness and prevention, said in Geneva that follow-up should include daily symptom checks, such as for fever.
Moumita Basuroychowdhury is a Contributing Reporter at The National Digest. After earning an economics degree at Cornell University, she moved to NYC to pursue her MFA in creative writing. She enjoys reporting on science, business and culture news. You can reach her at moumita.b@thenationaldigest.com.
