PARIS / WASHINGTON:
Health authorities have confirmed that a French passenger and an American passenger from a cruise ship affected by a hantavirus outbreak have tested positive for the virus.
According to French Health Minister Stéphanie Rist, the French passenger—one of five French nationals aboard the ship—tested positive and is currently in a deteriorating condition. The remaining four French passengers initially tested negative but will undergo further testing as a precaution.
Authorities have also identified 22 contact cases as part of ongoing tracing efforts.
The minister said strict containment measures are being implemented to prevent further spread, including enhanced isolation protocols for close contacts. French officials are working with national leadership to strengthen response measures and control transmission risks.
She added that the country has sufficient testing capacity and protective equipment to manage the situation.
In the United States, the Department of Health and Human Services confirmed that one of 17 American citizens being repatriated from the affected cruise ship tested mildly positive for the Andes strain of hantavirus. A second passenger is also showing mild symptoms but has not yet been confirmed positive.
All American passengers are being transported back under medical supervision, with symptomatic individuals placed in specialised biocontainment units during the flight.
The repatriation operation is being coordinated to transfer patients to designated high-level treatment centres for further evaluation and care upon arrival.
Health officials say hantaviruses are typically spread through rodents, and human-to-human transmission is rare. Authorities have emphasised that the overall risk of wider community spread remains low.
Medical facilities in the United States have activated specialised biocontainment units ahead of the arrival of passengers, where individuals will undergo clinical assessment and receive appropriate treatment or monitoring depending on their condition.