Americans, French Contract Hantavirus After Leaving Cruise Ship

Health authorities have confirmed that an American and a French citizen who traveled home after disembarking from a cruise ship struck by a hantavirus outbreak have tested positive for the virus. The World Health Organization (WHO) reported on Monday that seven cases of hantavirus connected to the MV Hondius have been confirmed, with two additional cases suspected. According to the US health department, a second American citizen on the repatriation flight displayed mild symptoms, with both passengers transported in biocontainment units as a precautionary measure. French Health Minister Stéphanie Rist reported that a woman was isolating in Paris with deteriorating health, and authorities had traced 22 contacts. Three passengers have died following their journey on the vessel, with two confirmed to have contracted the virus. The WHO indicated that the individual believed to be the first case in the outbreak passed away before testing could be conducted. Two British citizens with confirmed cases are currently receiving treatment in the Netherlands and South Africa. Hantaviruses are typically carried by rodents, though human transmission of the Andes strainbelieved by the World Health Organization (WHO) to have been contracted by some passengers during their time in South Americais possible. Symptoms may include fever, extreme fatigue, muscle aches, abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, and difficulty breathing. Authorities have stated that the likelihood of a major outbreak remains minimal. Over 90 passengers of the MV Hondius, currently docked in Spain’s Canary Islands, are being repatriated. In their latest update from Tenerife on Monday, Spanish officials reported that 54 passengers and crew remained aboard the vessel. Spanish Health Minister Mónica García stated that six were passengers: four Australians, one British citizen, and one New Zealander. She mentioned that 22 individuals would disembark the ship to travel to the Netherlands on Monday, including the Australians who had been scheduled for direct flights home but whose planes could not be confirmed to arrive punctually. The MV Hondius was subsequently scheduled to depart for the Netherlands later that day. Meanwhile, four Canadian passengers arrived in Victoria, British Columbia, Sunday evening after a chartered flight from Tenerife to Bagotville, Quebec. Authorities stated they would be self-isolating and monitored for a minimum of three weeks. In a Monday morning statement, the US Department of Health and Human Services announced that all 17 US citizens on Sunday’s flight would receive clinical assessment at a medical facility in Nebraska. A British national residing in the US was also repatriated with them. Seven additional US passengers had previously returned home and were under surveillance in their respective states. Prior to the confirmation of the American case, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus cautioned that the US decision not to adhere to the organization’s guidelines regarding the hantavirus outbreak “may pose risks”. The WHO has advised 42 days of isolation for individuals departing the MV Hondius. However, Dr Jay Bhattacharya, acting head of the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC), stated he wished to avoid public panic, emphasizing that human-to-human transmission is infrequent and the virus should not be equated with Covid-19. Cruise ship passengers were seen wearing blue gowns, bouffant caps, and medical face masks while disembarking on Sunday at the port of Granadilla de Abona in Tenerife. On Sunday, a flight carrying 20 British nationals arrived in the United Kingdom. The passengers arrived at Manchester Airport via a chartered flight from Tenerife and were transported to Arrowe Park Hospital in Wirral, Merseyside, for 72 hours of isolation. None have reported symptoms. In Spain, 14 Spanish nationals transported to Madrid now face mandatory quarantine at a military hospital. Two additional evacuation flights are planned for Monday afternoon. A separate flight carrying 26 passengers and crewincluding eight Dutch nationalsarrived in the Netherlands on Sunday. Earlier on Monday, Ukraine announced that four of its citizens would remain aboard the MV Hondius as crew members to facilitate the vessel’s transfer to the Netherlands. Upon arrival, the foreign ministry stated they would be required to quarantine at a medical facility. A fifth Ukrainian national was expected to depart the ship as part of the partial crew evacuation via a flight to the Netherlands. The ministry added that no signs of illness have been observed among the Ukrainian nationals. In a video message released on Monday by Oceanwide Expeditions, which operates the MV Hondius, the captain expressed the crew’s thoughts were “with those who are no longer with us”. Jan Dobrogowski also remarked that “the past few weeks have been extremely challenging for all of us”, while commending the patience, discipline, and kindness demonstrated aboard the vessel. During her briefing, the Spanish health minister also reported that one police officer participating in the ongoing repatriation operation had died from cardiac arrest. An elderly Dutch man was the first passenger to die aboard the MV Hondius on April 11. He had previously exhibited symptoms but is regarded as a probable case since no testing was conducted. His wife, a 69-year-old woman, disembarked the ship on St. Helena on April 24 and traveled to South Africa. She passed away two days later at a clinic in Johannesburg. A German woman died aboard the cruise ship on May 2. Both women have been confirmed as cases of the virus. The MV Hondius departed from Argentina’s southern city of Ushuaia on April 1 and is currently docked at the port of Granadilla, southern Tenerife.