A French woman and an American passenger have tested positive for hantavirus following the deadly outbreak aboard the cruise ship MV Hondius, as countries around the world continue efforts to repatriate and monitor passengers.
The outbreak, believed to be the first hantavirus cluster ever recorded on a cruise ship, has already claimed three lives. The World Health Organization says six infections have now been confirmed, while one additional U.S. case returned inconclusive laboratory results.
Passengers began disembarking in Tenerife in Spain’s Canary Islands, where authorities wearing full protective equipment escorted travellers from the vessel to military and government evacuation flights. The infected French passenger reportedly developed symptoms during a flight to Paris, while the infected American passenger was transported to a specialized quarantine facility in Nebraska after testing positive without showing symptoms.
