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France Quarantines 8 After Hantavirus Cruise Ship Outbreak
(MENAFN) France has placed eight individuals under strict hospital quarantine in Paris following their return from the hantavirus-stricken expedition vessel MV Hondius, a broadcaster reported Wednesday, as authorities moved swiftly amid an elevated risk classification.
The quarantine measures target contacts tied to a confirmed exposure chain aboard the MV Hondius, where a French woman remains in serious condition after contracting hantavirus — a rare but potentially deadly viral disease.
Despite the precautionary containment, officials were quick to stress that no evidence of domestic transmission has been detected on French soil.
The eight individuals were flagged after sharing a flight from Saint Helena to Johannesburg with a confirmed hantavirus patient. By Tuesday evening, five had been admitted to Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital in Paris. A sixth, currently hospitalized in Rennes, is expected to be transferred to the capital, along with the two remaining contacts.
Health Minister Stéphanie Rist moved to calm public concern, offering reassurances that no signs of viral circulation have emerged within France — notably amid comparisons to past global health emergencies.
The Andes virus strain driving this outbreak is particularly concerning to health experts, as — unlike most hantavirus strains transmitted solely through contact with infected rodents or their droppings — it is capable of human-to-human transmission.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has confirmed 11 infections and three deaths linked to the outbreak so far.
A French national evacuated from the ship in Spain on Sunday subsequently tested positive and was placed in intensive care in stable condition, Defense Minister Lecornu confirmed Monday evening. The Spain-based evacuation operation, conducted across Sunday and Monday, involved passengers and crew representing 23 nationalities, with each country applying its own health protocols.
"Our health response is clear: for all contact cases, without exception, reinforced quarantine in a hospital setting," Lecornu said.
All eight contacts will remain under quarantine pending further assessment, consistent with WHO guidance recommending 42 days of monitoring — either at home or within a medical facility.
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