A French passenger evacuated from the virus-stricken cruise ship MV Hondius developed symptoms consistent with hantavirus while being flown from Tenerife to Paris, prompting French authorities to place all five repatriated passengers into strict isolation.
French Prime Minister Sebastian Lecornu said the symptomatic passenger was immediately isolated during the charter flight after showing signs of illness linked to the outbreak that has already claimed three lives.
Upon arrival at Le Bourget Airport, emergency officials wearing full personal protective equipment escorted the passengers from the aircraft before transporting them by ambulance to Bichat Hospital.
France’s foreign ministry said the group will remain in quarantine for 72 hours while undergoing medical evaluations before potentially being allowed to continue self-isolation at home for 45 days.
The French passengers are among more than 90 tourists and crew members being repatriated from the Hondius after the vessel anchored off Tenerife following a deadly hantavirus outbreak onboard.
The outbreak has killed three passengers, including two confirmed hantavirus cases.
Hantaviruses are primarily spread by rodents, but health officials believe the Andes strain involved in the outbreak can spread between humans. Authorities suspect several passengers contracted the virus while travelling in Argentina and other parts of South America.
Symptoms associated with the disease include fever, severe fatigue, muscle pain, stomach discomfort, vomiting, diarrhoea, and breathing difficulties.
Meanwhile, Spain placed 14 Spanish nationals under mandatory quarantine at a military hospital in Madrid.
British passengers have also returned to the United Kingdom, where the UK Health Security Agency said none have reported symptoms so far, though monitoring continues.
A separate flight carrying 26 passengers and crew, including eight Dutch nationals, has already arrived in the Netherlands. Repatriation flights were also scheduled for citizens of Turkey, United States, Ireland, and Australia.
Spanish Health Minister Mónica García said 18 passengers, including all American nationals and one British resident living in the U.S., were expected to travel onward to the United States.
The evacuation operation was coordinated by the World Health Organization and the Spanish government after the Hondius arrived in Tenerife early Sunday morning.
Medical teams boarded the ship shortly after docking and began the carefully controlled removal of passengers and crew.
Images from the evacuation showed passengers wearing medical face masks and maintaining social distancing while being ferried ashore and transported to airports under strict health protocols.
The arrival of the ship sparked concern among some local officials in the Canary Islands, including regional leaders worried about potential virus transmission.
The outbreak began after the ship departed Ushuaia on April 1 for a South Atlantic voyage.
The first passenger died at sea on April 11. Another passenger later died in Johannesburg after leaving the ship via Saint Helena.
Two British men with confirmed infections are receiving treatment in the Netherlands and South Africa, while another British national remains isolated on Tristan da Cunha, where British military medics recently parachuted in emergency medical supplies and assistance.
Once all passengers and crew disembark, the Hondius will continue to the Netherlands, where the belongings of deceased passengers and one victim’s body will be disinfected before removal.