French Passenger Tests Positive for Hantavirus
A French woman repatriated from the MV Hondius cruise ship, which was struck by a hantavirus outbreak, has tested positive for the rare disease. This marks France’s first confirmed case related to the outbreak, according to Health Minister Stéphanie Rist.
The woman, one of five French passengers transported back to Paris and placed in isolation, reported feeling severely unwell on Sunday night. Subsequent tests confirmed the presence of hantavirus, the minister said during an interview with France Inter radio.
In addition to the confirmed case, health officials identified 22 other French nationals as potential contacts. These individuals were exposed to someone with the virus and are under close observation. Among them are eight passengers who traveled on an April 25 flight from Saint Helena to Johannesburg and 14 passengers who flew from Johannesburg to Amsterdam.
The MV Hondius outbreak has had severe consequences, including the deaths of three passengers—two Dutch and one German—and multiple others contracting the virus. Notably, a Dutch woman who died had flown from Saint Helena to Johannesburg before briefly boarding a flight to Amsterdam. She died on April 26 in a Johannesburg hospital and subsequently tested positive for hantavirus.
Hantavirus is a rare illness generally transmitted by rodents and is endemic in Argentina, where the cruise ship departed in April. Currently, no vaccines or specific treatments are available to combat the virus. Despite this, health authorities maintain that the risk to global public health remains low and have cautioned against drawing direct parallels to the Covid-19 pandemic.
French health officials continue to monitor the situation closely, enforcing quarantine measures and contact tracing to contain the virus’s spread. The incident has prompted increased vigilance around international travel and the management of emerging infectious diseases linked to travel and zoonotic sources.