Spain’s Ministry of Health has confirmed a second case of hantavirus in a Spanish national who was aboard the MV Hondius cruise ship. The patient, one of 14 quarantined at Madrid’s Gómez Ulla Hospital, tested positive during routine checks.
Health officials say the patient is stable and has been transferred to a high-level isolation unit. The first Spanish passenger tested positive on May 12. A total of 12 cases and three deaths have been reported globally, with no fatalities since May 2.
The World Health Organization’s director-general, Tedros Ghebreyesus, confirmed the ship’s captain remains symptom-free. Oceanwide Expeditions, the ship’s operator, says the virus was likely contracted before boarding. The vessel is undergoing additional cleaning in Rotterdam and is expected to resume Arctic voyages on June 13.