A French woman and an American man have tested positive for hantavirus after being evacuated from the MV Hondius cruise ship, as governments intensified repatriation and quarantine efforts linked to the deadly outbreak.
The new infections emerged as passengers from more than 20 countries were flown home from the Canary Islands under strict health protocols after the vessel remained stranded for weeks following the outbreak.
Health officials said the latest cases increased global concern, though international agencies continued to stress that the broader public risk remained low.
French Health Minister Stephanie Rist said the French passenger’s condition had worsened after she developed symptoms during a repatriation flight to Paris.
Another four French passengers tested negative, while authorities identified 22 contact cases linked to the infected traveler.
In the United States, health officials confirmed that one evacuated American passenger tested positive but remained asymptomatic, while another showed mild symptoms.
The passengers arrived in Nebraska aboard a repatriation flight and were transferred to specialized quarantine and monitoring facilities.
Officials said one passenger would enter the Nebraska Biocontainment Unit “out of an abundance of caution.”
The World Health Organization said the outbreak has resulted in three deaths and multiple confirmed infections connected to the cruise ship.
WHO officials described the incident as the first recorded hantavirus outbreak aboard a cruise vessel.
Passengers began leaving the ship after it anchored near Tenerife in Spain’s Canary Islands, with medical personnel wearing full protective equipment escorting travelers from ship to shore.
Spanish authorities said evacuation operations involving military and government aircraft were expected to conclude Monday.
A Dutch aircraft scheduled to arrive in Tenerife was set to transport passengers originally assigned to an Australian evacuation flight.
On Monday, 54 passengers and crew remained aboard the ship, with 22 expected to disembark while the remaining passengers would stay on board as the vessel returned to the Netherlands.
Health experts said the Andes strain identified in the outbreak can rarely spread between people but remains far less contagious than COVID-19.
WHO has recommended 42 days of monitoring for passengers and close daily health checks after repatriation.