Spain Confirms New Hantavirus Case Linked to Cruise Ship Outbreak

The Spanish government announced a new hantavirus case linked to the MV Hondius cruise ship outbreak, which recently left three people dead. A Spanish citizen in a Madrid hospital’s quarantine tested positive, according to the Health Ministry.

The infected individual is a close contact of someone from the earlier outbreak. They have been monitored and isolated at Gómez Ulla Hospital. The positive test emerged during routine checks of those related to the outbreak. After confirmation, the patient was moved to a high-level isolation unit for specialized care.

Hantavirus is common in some areas of South America but is rare among humans. Its appearance on a cruise ship is unprecedented. Health authorities globally, including in the U.S., seek to prevent panic over the outbreak.

Spain’s Health Ministry stated there is no increased public risk or need to change current response strategies, as the infected person was already in isolation. Hantavirus can incubate for up to six weeks. The last reported death from the outbreak occurred on May 2, when the World Health Organization was first informed.

Recently, twenty crew members and two medical staff left the ship in the Netherlands, as reported by Oceanwide Expeditions. The cruise completed a seven-week, 8,500-mile voyage, during which 11 people contracted the disease, resulting in three deaths. Most passengers, including 18 Americans, are quarantining in their home countries.