Health authorities in the United States and France have confirmed new cases of hantavirus among passengers evacuated from the cruise ship MV Hondius, as international efforts continue to manage an outbreak that has already claimed multiple lives.
The US Department of Health and Human Services confirmed that an American passenger who returned on a repatriation flight tested positive for the virus. A second US national on the same flight has shown mild symptoms and is being closely monitored. Both individuals were transported in biocontainment units as a precautionary measure. Seventeen American citizens in total were flown back to Nebraska for clinical assessment, while seven others who had already returned are under observation in their home states.
French authorities also reported a confirmed case involving a woman who is currently isolating in Paris. Health Minister Stéphanie Rist said her condition was worsening and that contact tracing had identified 22 individuals who may have been exposed.
The developments come as more than 90 passengers and crew from the MV Hondius are being repatriated following a series of infections linked to the vessel, which remains docked in Spain’s Canary Islands. Spanish officials said 54 people were still on board as of Monday, including several passengers from Australia, the United Kingdom, and New Zealand.
Three passengers have died after travelling on the ship, including a Dutch couple and a German woman, with two of the cases confirmed as hantavirus infections. The virus, typically carried by rodents, can cause severe respiratory illness, though experts say human-to-human transmission remains rare.
The World Health Organization had advised a 42-day isolation period for those leaving the ship, a recommendation not fully adopted by US authorities. Dr Jay Bhattacharya of the US Centers for Disease Control said the agency was focused on avoiding public panic while emphasising that the risk of widespread transmission was low.
Repatriation efforts have involved multiple countries, with passengers flown to the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Spain, and other destinations. In the UK, 20 citizens arrived in Manchester before being transferred to isolation facilities in Merseyside. None have reported symptoms so far.
Passengers described wearing protective clothing and masks during disembarkation in Tenerife, where authorities have maintained strict containment procedures. Spanish officials confirmed additional evacuation flights were scheduled, while some crew members remain on board to assist with the ship’s transfer.
The MV Hondius, which departed Argentina in early April, has been at the centre of a complex multinational response as health agencies continue monitoring for further cases and assessing the risk of wider spread.
