Hi Bandung – A French citizen and an American citizen who were evacuated from the MV Hondius cruise ship were reported to have tested positive for hantavirus, a rare virus that is of international concern.
The French passenger was among a group of five French citizens who were transferred from the ship in Tenerife on Sunday before being flown to Paris for further medical treatment.
French Health Minister, Stéphanie Rist, revealed that the patient’s condition had worsened after experiencing serious symptoms on Sunday evening. Currently, the patient is being treated in a special infectious disease unit at a hospital in Paris.
On the other hand, a passenger from the United States who was repatriated to Nebraska along with 16 other people was also found to have been exposed to the Andes strain, a type of hantavirus which is known to be transmitted between humans.
However, US health authorities said the patient had not experienced serious symptoms.
Strict Evacuation Operations and Health Monitoring
The evacuation process was carried out with strict health precautions. Officers wore full protective clothing and breathing masks when accompanying passengers off the ship.
The Spanish government called the operation to transfer more than 100 people from 23 countries a very complex and unprecedented step. All passengers underwent health checks, including body temperature checks, when the ship arrived in the area off the coast of Tenerife.
A hantavirus outbreak on the ship had previously caused three deaths, namely a Dutch couple and a German woman.
The disease is generally transmitted by rodents and is known to be endemic in Argentina, where the ship started its voyage last April.
Even though there is no vaccine or specific therapy available for hantavirus, the World Health Organization assesses the risk of global spread is still low. WHO also recommends a 42-day quarantine period accompanied by active health monitoring of all passengers and ship crew to prevent wider transmission.***
Source: The Guardian
