A French woman and an American man have tested positive for hantavirus infections as countries around the world repatriate passengers from a cruise ship hit by a deadly outbreak.
French Health Minister Stephanie Rist said on Monday that a French passenger who was on the MV Hondius cruise ship tested positive for the virus and her condition was deteriorating, the Reuters news agency reported.
“What is key is to act at the start and break the virus transmission chains,” Rist told France Inter radio, pointing to the “decree that came out today that will allow us to strengthen isolation measures for contact cases and to protect the population”.
Another four French passengers have so far tested negative, and authorities have identified 22 contact cases.
The US Department of Health and Human Services said on Sunday that an American on a repatriation flight had tested “mildly positive” for the virus and another had mild symptoms. Both were travelling “in the plane’s biocontainment units out of an abundance of caution” and all 17 MV Hondius passengers on board would undergo clinical assessment upon arrival in the US.
The two new cases bring the total number of cases reported to the World Health Organization (WHO) to nine. The WHO has so far confirmed two deaths and one probable death, and as of Friday, four people were hospitalised with one in intensive care in South Africa.
Courtesy: Al Jazeera
Bd-pratidin English/Lutful Hoque
