Two tourists returning to the USA and France, respectively, after leaving the Hondius cruise ship, have tested positive for hantavirus, announced the authorities in the two countries. Over 90 passengers of the ship have been repatriated so far, following the outbreak of the deadly hantavirus, and in the case of 8 of them, the infection has been confirmed, reports IPN, citing BBC.
The US Department of Health has announced that a second repatriated American citizen has mild symptoms and that all 17 returned tourists are under observation in a military hospital. On the other hand, the French Minister of Health, Stéphanie Rist, stated that the passenger returned to Paris is isolated and her condition is worsening.
The World Health Organization assures that the risk of triggering a major outbreak is very low. The recommendation is for everyone who was on the ship to stay in isolation for 42 days, the incubation period of the virus. Officials say that the risk of a major outbreak is very low. The Hondius ship is currently anchored in the Granadilla port, in the south of the Spanish island Tenerife. Three of the tourists on board have died due to the viral infection.
Hantaviruses are usually spread by rodents, but human-to-human transmission is also possible, just as in the case of the strain detected on the cruise ship. Symptoms may include fever, extreme fatigue, muscle pain, abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, and breathing difficulties.
