Hantavirus Cases Rise as Cruise Ship Captain Calls Outbreak 'Very Painful'

A French woman and an American have tested positive for hantavirus following a deadly outbreak on the cruise ship MV Hondius. Passengers have disembarked in the Canary Islands and are being flown home for quarantine.

The World Health Organization recommends close monitoring of all former passengers. Three people have died and six have been infected since the outbreak began. The ship's captain, Jan Dobrogowski, released a video message praising passengers and crew for their patience and unity, calling the experience "very painful."

British Columbia's top doctor, Dr. Bonnie Henry, says four Canadian passengers remain in a critical monitoring period. They are not considered infected but are isolated for 21 days. A French woman tested positive after repatriation, and her condition worsened overnight. One of 17 American passengers also tested positive but shows no symptoms; they are being monitored at the University of Nebraska Medical Center.

The WHO stresses this is not another COVID-19. The Andes hantavirus strain is rarely transmitted between humans, usually through close contact. Symptoms include fever, chills, and muscle aches, with an incubation period of up to six weeks.