French Health Minister Stephanie Rist said on May 11 that a French passenger who was on a yacht recording a hantavirus outbreak tested positive for the virus and his health condition is deteriorating.
This person is in the group of 5 French citizens on board. The remaining 4 passengers are currently negative but will continue to be tested again.
Speaking on France Inter radio, Ms. Rist said that French authorities have tracked down 22 contacts related to the new infection.
According to Ms. Rist, the current priority is to prevent the viral chain from the early stages. The French government has issued a new decree to strengthen isolation measures for people who have had close contact, while protecting the community.
French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu is expected to hold a meeting on the hantavirus crisis on May 11.
When asked about the ability to respond if the epidemic spreads, Ms. Rist affirmed that France has fully prepared masks and necessary tests.
Previously, the yacht involved in the hantavirus outbreak had docked at a port near Tenerife in Spain to implement a plan to evacuate passengers. The World Health Organization and the European Union had proposed that Spain coordinate the operation of taking passengers off the ship after the outbreak was detected.
According to previous information from the World Health Organization, 8 people have developed the disease and are no longer on board, including 3 deaths including a Dutch couple and a German citizen.
The European health authority assessed that all passengers on the MV Hondius ship were at high risk exposure and recommended quarantine for 42 days.
Spanish authorities said experts did not detect rodents on board and hygiene conditions were still adequate. Hantaviruses usually transmit from rodents to humans, but in rare cases can be transmitted from person to person.
