Hantavirus Cruise Ship Outbreak Grows to 11 Cases; WHO Warns of Possible New Infections

A French woman infected during a deadly hantavirus outbreak aboard a cruise ship is on an artificial lung in a Paris hospital, fighting for her life, as the total number of reported cases climbed to 11 Tuesday — a development the World Health Organization says could still grow given the virus's long incubation window.

Dr. Xavier Lescure, an infectious disease specialist at Bichat Hospital in Paris, said the patient's infection has caused life-threatening damage to both her lungs and heart. The device keeping her alive pumps blood through an artificial lung, oxygenates it and returns it to the body. Lescure described it as "the final stage of supportive care."

Three people have died in the outbreak, including a Dutch couple health officials believe were the first passengers exposed — likely during a visit to a South American garbage dump where rodents carrying the Andes strain of hantavirus are found. Nine of the 11 reported cases have been confirmed, according to WHO.

All 87 passengers and 35 crew members have been evacuated from the MV Hondius and brought ashore in Tenerife. The ship is now sailing to Rotterdam for disinfection. Evacuees were flown to the Netherlands and placed in quarantine. A Spanish passenger also tested positive Tuesday after evacuation and is isolated at a military hospital in Madrid, Spain's health ministry said.

The outbreak carries direct relevance for Treasure Coast residents who cruise regularly out of Port Canaveral and Port Everglades. The Andes virus strain detected aboard the Hondius is notable because, unlike most hantavirus strains that spread only through contact with rodent droppings, it may be transmissible between people in rare cases, officials said.

WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Tuesday there is currently "no sign that we are seeing the start of a larger outbreak," but cautioned that the virus's incubation period — up to eight weeks — means additional cases among evacuated passengers remain possible. He advised all returning passengers to quarantine for 42 days. Twelve employees at a Dutch hospital were separately placed in preventive quarantine after improperly handling bodily fluids from a confirmed patient, though the hospital said the risk of infection remains low.

There is no approved vaccine or cure for hantavirus. WHO advises that early detection and medical treatment improve survival rates. Any Treasure Coast traveler who was aboard the MV Hondius and experiences fever, chills or muscle aches should contact their physician or the Florida Department of Health immediately and disclose their travel history before seeking in-person care.

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