France has confirmed its first recorded case of Hantavirus after a French passenger evacuated from the cruise ship MV Hondius tested positive for the infection, health authorities announced on Monday.
French Health Minister Stéphanie Rist revealed that the infected woman was among five French passengers evacuated from the MV Hondius and flown back to Paris on Sunday.
According to the minister, the woman’s condition worsened overnight after she developed symptoms during the return journey to France.
The evacuation operation began after the cruise ship docked in the Canary Islands, with passengers transferred to their home countries aboard military and government aircraft.
Images from Associated Press showed passengers being escorted from the ship to shore in Tenerife by personnel wearing full protective suits and face masks as authorities intensified containment measures.
The World Health Organization has recommended close monitoring of all passengers linked to the outbreak, while several countries have already imposed quarantine measures for individuals considered high-risk contacts.
US officials also confirmed that one American was among 17 people being evacuated to Nebraska after testing positive for Hantavirus despite showing no symptoms.
French authorities previously announced precautionary isolation measures targeting individuals considered at high risk of exposure as efforts continue to contain the spread of the virus.
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