A Spanish citizen, among 14 from the MV Hondius, tested positive for Hantavirus, according to Reuters. The patient had been quarantined at the Gomez Ulla Central Defense Hospital in Madrid since 10/5. Health officials announced on 26/5 that this close contact case was identified through an epidemiological surveillance system activated after the initial outbreak on the cruise ship. Following an accurate diagnosis, the patient was transferred to the hospital's High-Level Isolation Unit (UATAN) for specialized medical monitoring.

This marks the second Spanish citizen from the Hondius ship to contract Hantavirus. As of 26/5, the World Health Organization (WHO) has confirmed 11 cases linked to this outbreak.

Spain's Ministry of Health stated that detecting this case within the existing strict control and quarantine system does not alter the risk level for the community and does not impact ongoing epidemiological response measures.

The MV Hondius cruise ship anchored off Praia city on Santiago island, Cape Verde, on 4/5. *Photo: Elton Monteiro/EPA*.

The WHO recorded the first Hantavirus case on the Hondius cruise ship on 2/5. This virus carries a mortality rate of 40-50%, posing a particular danger to the elderly, with the average age of passengers on the Hondius being 65.

According to the WHO, the hanta virus primarily resides in rodents but may have been transmitted from person to person on the ship. This rare illness presents with initial flu-like symptoms such as fatigue, fever, chills, and body aches. Over time, the virus can damage the heart, lungs, or kidneys, leading to severe respiratory distress, multi-organ failure, and death.

Health agencies in various countries raced to trace and control the outbreak after three passengers died since the MV Hondius departed Argentina in April. Dozens of passengers disembarked on the remote South Atlantic island of Saint Helena in late April. The remaining passengers left the ship in the Canary Islands, Spain, in May before flying home, while crew members disembarked later in the Netherlands. Many countries dispatched special flights to repatriate their citizens.

Infectious disease experts believe that passengers on the ship since early May are in the most susceptible phase for symptom onset. The average incubation period for the virus, the time from infection to symptom appearance, is three weeks and can extend up to six weeks. Consequently, most countries are conducting medical surveillance of passengers for a minimum of 42 days from their disembarkation date.

Binh Minh (According to CNN, Reuters)