Spain’s Ministry of Health announced on Monday that a Spaniard evacuated from MV Hondius and isolated in a Madrid hospital has tested positive for hantavirus.
The patient was one of 14 Spaniards on board the MV Hondius. They have been in isolation at Madrid’s Gómez Hulla Central Defense Hospital since May 10.
Officials said the patient was a close contact identified through epidemiological monitoring conducted after the initial discovery of the outbreak on the cruise ship.
After the case is confirmed, the patient will be transferred to the hospital’s Advanced Isolation Unit (UATAN), where he will be under specialized medical supervision and will have biosecurity measures established for this type of case.
This new case brings the number of Spanish passengers and crew members who traveled on the ship to positive for hantavirus to two.
Following the confirmation, the Ministry of Health sought to reassure the public, saying the case was detected within the isolation management system already in place. Therefore, the risk level for the general population will not change, nor will the epidemiological response measures currently in place.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
