A French woman, recently taken off the expedition cruise ship MV Hondius, has tested positive for hantavirus and her condition worsened overnight in the hospital. This was confirmed by France's Health Minister, Stéphanie Rist, according to the Associated Press.
The woman was among five French passengers who were flown back to Paris from Tenerife after the ship docked on Sunday at the industrial port of Granadilla de Abona, located in the southeast of the Canary Island. One of these passengers had already begun to exhibit symptoms during the flight back to the French capital.
The MV Hondius, operated by the Dutch company Oceanwide Expeditions, embarked on April 1st from Ushuaia, Argentina. The 46-day itinerary included stops in Antarctica, the South Atlantic Islands, and Cape Verde, with a total of 88 passengers and 59 crew members from 23 different countries.
At least three fatalities have been attributed to the outbreak, both on the ship and on land. This includes a Dutch couple—the husband died on the ship on April 11, and his wife passed away in a Johannesburg hospital on April 26—and a German woman who died onboard on May 2.
As of May 8, the World Health Organization reported six confirmed PCR cases and two suspected cases. This marks the first documented hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship, according to the global health body.
The identified virus strain is the Andes strain, the only one among over 20 known strains with documented human-to-human transmission, which requires very close and prolonged contact. It is suspected that transmission mainly occurred between couples sharing a cabin.
Cape Verde denied the ship's docking to protect its population, leading Spain to permit the ship's landing in Tenerife following intense diplomatic negotiations. The 14 Spanish passengers were the first to disembark, transferred by the Military Unit for Emergencies to Tenerife South Airport, and then flown by military aircraft to Gómez Ulla Hospital in Madrid, where they are undergoing a minimum seven-day quarantine.
A general quarantine for all passengers commenced on May 6, potentially extending up to 42 days, in accordance with the incubation period of the Andes virus.
The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention dispatched epidemiologists to the Canary Islands and plans to repatriate the 17 American passengers to Offutt Air Force Base in Omaha, Nebraska, for quarantine at the University of Nebraska's National Quarantine Center.
Last Friday, the Director-General of the WHO, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, issued an open letter to the residents of Tenerife to alleviate public fears: "This is not another COVID-19. The risk of community transmission is very low."
Understanding the Hantavirus Outbreak on MV Hondius
What is hantavirus and how is it transmitted?
Hantavirus is a family of viruses spread mainly by rodents and can cause various disease syndromes in people worldwide. The Andes strain, in particular, can be transmitted between humans through close, prolonged contact.
How many cases have been confirmed in the MV Hondius outbreak?
As of May 8, the World Health Organization has confirmed six cases through PCR testing and identified two additional suspected cases.
What measures have been taken to contain the outbreak?
Authorities have implemented a quarantine of up to 42 days for all passengers. The CDC has sent epidemiologists to the Canary Islands, and plans are in place to repatriate American passengers for quarantine in Nebraska.