French National on Repatriation Flight Displays Hantavirus Symptoms from MV Hondius
A French national, among those repatriated from the MV Hondius cruise ship, has developed symptoms consistent with hantavirus while on a chartered flight from Tenerife to Paris. Sebastian Lecornu, the French Prime Minister, confirmed that all five individuals evacuated from the Dutch vessel have been "immediately placed in strict isolation until further notice."
These French citizens are part of a larger group of over 90 tourists ferried home from the MV Hondius on Sunday, after the ship anchored off the Canary Islands. Three passengers who travelled on the ship have died, with two confirmed to have contracted the virus.
Upon the French flight's arrival at Le Bourget Airport, officials in personal protective equipment (PPE) met the evacuees, who were subsequently transported by ambulance to Bichat hospital in the French capital. They face a 72-hour quarantine and medical assessment, followed by 45 days of self-isolation at home, as per France's Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs.
Fourteen Spanish nationals flown to Madrid from Tenerife are undergoing mandatory quarantine at a military hospital. British nationals repatriated to Manchester are being monitored by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), though none have reported symptoms. Flights for Turkish, Irish, and US citizens were also scheduled on Sunday, with an Australian flight expected on Monday.
Spain's Health Secretary, Javier Padilla, indicated that over 90 of the 150 passengers and crew would be sent home by Sunday's end. The MV Hondius docked at Granadilla port, where medical teams boarded to commence a repatriation process orchestrated by the Spanish government and the World Health Organization (WHO).
Hantaviruses are typically carried by rodents. However, human-to-human transmission of the Andes strain, believed to have been contracted by some passengers in South America, is possible. Symptoms include fever, extreme fatigue, muscle aches, stomach pain, vomiting, diarrhoea, and shortness of breath.
The first passenger death occurred on 11 April, with another on 2 May. A 69-year-old Dutch woman who disembarked in St Helena on 24 April died two days later in South Africa. Two British men with confirmed hantavirus cases are receiving treatment in the Netherlands and South Africa. A third Briton is being treated for a suspected case on Tristan da Cunha, where British Army medics parachuted in supplies.
British nationals arriving in the UK will be held in an isolation facility for up to 72 hours, with medics determining subsequent isolation arrangements. Following the disembarkation of all passengers and crew, the MV Hondius will proceed to the Netherlands for disinfection of the deceased passenger's belongings.
