Spanish authorities confirm that one of the passengers evacuated from a cruise ship experiencing a hantavirus outbreak has tested positive, while a dozen hospital staff in the Netherlands have been quarantined after a procedural error.
Madrid's Ministry of Health announced late Monday, 11 May 2026 GMT+7, that a Spanish passenger evacuated from the cruise ship MV Hondius, which faced a hantavirus outbreak, tested positive but has yet to show any symptoms.
The passenger "was isolated at Gomez Ulla Hospital and tested positive by PCR immediately upon arrival," the ministry stated, adding that "final test results will be available in the next few hours." The other 13 evacuated Spanish passengers currently test negative.
Meanwhile, the hospital in the Netherlands treating hantavirus-infected evacuees from the same cruise ship announced Monday that 12 hospital staff members were ordered to quarantine for monitoring after a breach of proper procedures was discovered.
Radboud University Hospital in eastern Netherlands said in a statement that errors occurred during the collection of blood samples and disposal of patients' urine.
"Due to the situation, all 12 staff members must undergo a six-week quarantine for monitoring as a precaution, even though the risk of infection is considered low," the hospital added.
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Source:AFP