Spain reports new hantavirus case as outbreak expands to 11 people
Kyiv • UNN
A Spaniard from the MV Hondius liner has been confirmed to have hantavirus; his condition is stable. The WHO reports 11 cases of infection and three deaths among the vessel's passengers.
A Spanish passenger on the cruise ship MV Hondius has been confirmed to be infected with hantavirus, UNN reports, citing Sky News.
Details
The individual had a preliminary positive test result yesterday, the country's Ministry of Health said in a statement this morning. This has now been confirmed.
"Regarding the rest of the people who remained under observation at the Gómez Ulla Hospital, final tests confirmed 13 negative results," the statement also said.
Spanish passengers, who were the first to disembark from the MV Hondius on Sunday, were taken to a military hospital for isolation.
This is the same patient whose symptoms were previously reported to be worsening. Despite this, the ministry stated that his condition remains stable.
Regarding the US citizen, the ministry reported that his test result was negative, the publication writes.
These statements, AP notes, come as the World Health Organization announced 11 confirmed cases, including three deaths, from the cruise ship.
The head of the WHO, who was in Madrid, stated that all 11 confirmed cases are among passengers or crew members of the cruise ship MV Hondius, including the three deceased. Nine of the 11 cases were confirmed as the Andes strain.
A total of 87 passengers and 35 crew members were escorted from the ship to the shore in Tenerife by personnel in protective gear and respirators as part of a carefully planned operation that concluded on Monday evening. The remaining crew members replenished supplies and set course for the Dutch port city of Rotterdam, the ship's operator Oceanwide Expeditions said.