A French woman who was evacuated from a cruise ship has tested positive for hantavirus, and her health deteriorated overnight in the hospital, French Health Minister Stephanie Rist announced on Monday.
Evacuation and Symptoms
The woman was among five French passengers repatriated to Paris on Sunday from the MV Hondius. She began showing symptoms during the flight to Paris, Rist told public broadcaster France-Inter. The ship had anchored in the Canary Islands, and passengers were flown home aboard military and government planes.
Precautionary Measures
Personnel dressed in full-body protective gear and breathing masks escorted travelers from the ship to shore in Tenerife, an operation that continued on Monday. The World Health Organization recommended close monitoring of all former passengers, and many countries imposed quarantine measures.
U.S. officials reported late Sunday that one American among 17 being flown to Nebraska tested positive for hantavirus but remains asymptomatic. The situation underscores the challenges of managing infectious disease outbreaks in confined settings like cruise ships.
