French woman evacuated from cruise ship tests positive for Hantavirus

Paris: A French woman evacuated from the hantavirus-hit cruise ship MV Hondius has tested positive for the Andes hantavirus after returning to France, Health Minister Stéphanie Rist confirmed on Monday.

The woman was among five French nationals repatriated from the cruise ship on Sunday. According to officials, she developed symptoms during the medical evacuation flight back to France.

Rist said the woman’s condition deteriorated overnight, following which she was transferred to a specialised infectious disease hospital for treatment.

French authorities have also identified 22 close contacts linked to hantavirus cases in the country and ordered them to isolate as a precautionary measure.

Earlier on Sunday, French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu had confirmed that the five passengers arrived in France aboard a medical evacuation flight and were immediately placed under strict isolation upon arrival. In a post on X, he said the passengers were receiving medical care and would undergo further testing and health assessments.

Also Read:WHO labels all on hantavirus-hit cruise ship as high-risk contacts

Lecornu also announced that the government would issue a decree introducing isolation measures for close contacts in an effort to protect the wider population.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), hantaviruses are zoonotic viruses primarily carried by rodents and can occasionally spread to humans. Infections can lead to severe illness and, in some cases, death, with symptoms and complications varying depending on the virus strain and region.

In the Americas, hantavirus infection can cause hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome (HCPS), a rapidly progressing disease affecting the lungs and heart. In Europe and Asia, the virus is associated with haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS), which mainly impacts the kidneys and blood vessels.

There is currently no specific cure for hantavirus diseases. WHO says early supportive medical care is crucial to improving survival rates and typically focuses on managing respiratory, cardiac and kidney complications through close clinical monitoring.

Also Read:Hantavirus outbreak can be contained, says Dr Soumya Swaminathan

The virus is mainly transmitted through contact with infected rodent urine, droppings or saliva. Infection may also occur through rodent bites, though this is less common. Activities such as cleaning poorly ventilated spaces, farming, forestry work, or staying in rodent-infested areas can increase the risk of exposure.

With IANS inputs