PARIS — A French woman infected during a hantavirus outbreak linked to the cruise ship MV Hondius is in critical condition and receiving life support treatment at a Paris hospital, a doctor said Tuesday, as total reported cases reached 11, including nine confirmed infections.
Dr. Xavier Lescure of Bichat Hospital said the patient is experiencing severe lung and heart complications and is being treated with an artificial lung that oxygenates her blood outside the body to support organ recovery.
Health authorities reported three deaths connected to the outbreak, including a Dutch couple believed to have been the first exposed to the virus during travel in South America before boarding the ship.
The World Health Organization said confirmed and suspected cases have been limited to passengers and crew of the MV Hondius. Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said there is no indication of a broader outbreak but noted that additional cases may emerge due to the virus’s incubation period.
Spain’s health ministry confirmed Tuesday that a Spanish passenger tested positive for hantavirus after evacuation from the ship and is under quarantine at a military hospital in Madrid.
Authorities said this is the first recorded hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship. Hantavirus spreads primarily through contact with infected rodent droppings. The Andes strain identified in the outbreak may transmit between people in rare cases.
Argentina’s health ministry said it will send a team of experts to investigate the source of the outbreak. Officials said the Dutch couple had traveled in Argentina and nearby countries and may have been exposed to infected rodents during a bird-watching tour that included a stop at a landfill.
All passengers and many crew members have been evacuated from the MV Hondius in Tenerife. Dutch authorities said evacuation flights transported passengers and crew, including Dutch nationals and others from Australia, New Zealand and the Philippines, to the Netherlands, where they were placed under quarantine.
Ship operator Oceanwide Expeditions said the vessel is en route to Rotterdam for cleaning and disinfection.
Separately, Radboud University Medical Center said 12 staff members were placed under preventive quarantine after improperly handling bodily fluids from an infected patient. The hospital said the risk of infection remains low but required quarantine as a precaution.
