Hantavirus Cases Rise Among Cruise Ship Passengers as Countries Expand Quarantine Measures

Health officials in several countries are expanding quarantine and monitoring measures after additional passengers from a cruise ship linked to a hantavirus outbreak tested positive or developed symptoms, as governments continue repatriation operations from the Canary Islands.

A French woman hospitalized in Paris tested positive for hantavirus after being evacuated from the Dutch-flagged cruise ship MV Hondius, French Health Minister Stéphanie Rist said in a May 11 interview with France Inter.

Rist said the patient had been transferred to a specialized infectious diseases hospital equipped with high-protection isolation facilities.

“What we know, because this is a known virus, is that when someone deteriorates with this virus, their life prognosis can indeed be at risk,” Rist said. “That may be the case for this person.”

The developments came after three deaths linked to the outbreak and several earlier infections among passengers who had disembarked before MV Hondius reached Tenerife.

US Passengers Monitored in Nebraska

In the United States, health officials confirmed on May 10 that one American passenger repatriated to Nebraska tested positive for hantavirus but was not showing symptoms.

Another American passenger was reported to have mild symptoms, according to U.S. officials overseeing the evacuation and quarantine process.

The group of 17 Americans arrived in Nebraska early May 11 and was transported for assessment at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, which operates a federally funded quarantine and biocontainment facility.

“One passenger will be transported to the Nebraska Biocontainment Unit upon arrival, while other passengers will go to the National Quarantine Unit for assessment and monitoring,” said Kayla Thomas, a spokesperson for Nebraska Medicine.

“The passenger who is going to the Biocontainment Unit tested positive for the virus but does not have symptoms.”

The University of Nebraska Medical Center previously treated patients during the COVID-19 pandemic and earlier Ebola outbreaks.

Kelly Cawcutt, senior medical director of infection prevention and hospital epidemiology at Nebraska Medicine, said on May 7 that hantavirus is a rare rodent-borne illness that can become severe.

“This includes severe infections with significant impact to the lungs and kidneys,” she said.

Dr. Cawcutt said symptoms can initially resemble common viral illnesses and may include fatigue, fever, headaches, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and muscle aches before progressing to breathing difficulties.

She also noted that while several hantavirus variants exist globally, only the Andes virus is known to spread from person to person.

“The Andes virus, which has potential for human-to-human transmission, is found in Argentina and Chile,” Dr. Cawcutt said.

Global Repatriation Effort

Passengers from more than 20 countries have been repatriated aboard military and government-chartered aircraft since the ship arrived in Tenerife.

The World Health Organization has urged countries receiving passengers to conduct active monitoring and daily health checks. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on May 10 that the outbreak should not trigger widespread panic.

“This is not another COVID. And the risk to the public is low,” Tedros wrote on X. “So they shouldn’t be scared, and they shouldn’t panic.”

Maria Van Kerkhove, the WHO’s acting director for epidemic and pandemic preparedness and prevention, said countries should maintain close follow-up of returning passengers either at home or in specialized facilities.

Several governments announced quarantine or observation measures for returning citizens.

Australian officials said that four Australians, one ​resident of Tenerife, and one resident of New Zealand will be repatriated via an Australian government-supported flight.

“We expect those people to return to Australia soon,” Australian Environment Minister Murray Watt told journalists in Canberra.

Dutch Foreign Minister Tom Berendsen said additional Dutch evacuation flights were also planned.

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.