Spain's Ministry of Health has confirmed that a Spanish passenger evacuated from the MV Hondius cruise ship has tested positive for hantavirus, as the World Health Organization (WHO) reports 11 confirmed cases, including three deaths among those from the cruise.

The WHO stated that nine of the 11 confirmed cases involve the rare Andes variant of the virus, which typically spreads among rodents but can be transmitted between humans. There is no vaccine or treatment available for this strain.

After evacuating all 87 passengers and 35 crew members, the Dutch-flagged ship is now sailing back to the Netherlands, where it will undergo thorough cleaning and disinfection.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus noted that there is currently no sign of a larger outbreak, but due to the virus's long incubation period, more cases may emerge in the coming weeks.

In the Netherlands, a hospital quarantined 12 staff members for six weeks after improperly handling blood and urine samples from a hantavirus patient. In Paris, a French woman evacuated from the ship remains in intensive care in stable condition.

Source: www.aljazeera.com