US passenger tests positive for hantavirus after cruise ship outbreak
A US passenger evacuated from the MV Hondius cruise ship has tested positive for hantavirus, while another passenger is showing mild symptoms after leaving the vessel linked to a deadly outbreak.
The infected passenger was among 17 US citizens on a government charter repatriation flight. US health officials said both symptomatic passengers are travelling in biocontainment units as a precaution.
On arrival in the United States, all passengers will undergo medical screening at the University of Nebraska Medical Center.
The outbreak has already claimed three lives, including a Dutch couple and a German passenger. Two deaths have been confirmed as hantavirus cases.
Health authorities say the risk of a widespread outbreak remains low, as hantavirus is mainly spread by rodents, though the Andes strain can rarely spread between humans.
More than 90 passengers from the ship, currently docked in Spain’s Canary Islands, are being repatriated to their home countries under strict health protocols.
