Hantavirus cases reported after MV Hondius evacuations
Authorities prepared to remove the final 24 passengers near Tenerife after three deaths linked to the outbreak.
Health authorities said two people tested positive for hantavirus after being evacuated from the MV Hondius. French Health Minister Stephanie Rist said an evacuated French passenger had tested positive and that her condition was worsening.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said one of 17 repatriated Americans had a mild positive test for the Andes strain of the virus. A second American had mild symptoms, according to the department.
Spanish authorities coordinating the operation said the final 24 passengers aboard the ship were scheduled to be evacuated Monday afternoon while the vessel was anchored near Tenerife. Three people, identified as a Dutch couple and a German national, have died since the outbreak began.
Spanish Health Minister Monica Garcia said the MV Hondius would sail to the Netherlands, its flag state, after the evacuations, with about 30 crew members remaining aboard. Spain’s health ministry said no rodents had been detected on the vessel.
The World Health Organization recommended that all passengers from the ship undergo a 42-day quarantine beginning May 10, according to Maria Van Kerkhove, the WHO’s director of epidemic and pandemic management.