Hantavirus Patient From the MV Hondius Is on Artificial Lung
The hantavirus outbreak that began on the expedition cruise ship MV Hondius has now reached 11 confirmed and probable cases, killed three people, and left a French woman in Paris fighting for her life on an artificial lung.
Dr. Xavier Lescure, an infectious disease specialist at Bichat-Claude-Bernard Hospital in Paris, said Tuesday that the woman is in "the final stage of supportive care" with life-threatening complications affecting both her lungs and heart. An artificial lung — a machine doing the breathing her body can no longer manage on its own — is keeping her alive. Her identity hasn't been released.
This is what hantavirus does at its worst. There is no cure. There is no specific treatment. Once the infection reaches this stage, the only option is supportive care — machines and medication trying to keep a person stable while the virus runs its course. Most people who reach this point don't survive.
Where the Outbreak Stands
The WHO updated its count Tuesday to 11 total cases including three deaths, with two additional probable cases. All cases are linked to passengers or crew of the MV Hondius, which left Argentina on April 1 for a voyage through some of the most remote places on earth — Antarctica, the Falkland Islands, South Georgia, Nightingale Island, Tristan da Cunha, Saint Helena, Ascension Island, and Cape Verde.
The three people who have died are believed to be a Dutch couple and a German national. Another patient remains in an ICU in South Africa.
WHO was direct about what's coming. "We expect more cases given the dynamics of spread on a ship and the virus' incubation period." The Andes strain — the specific variant confirmed in this outbreak — is the only hantavirus known to spread person to person, and the incubation period means people who were exposed weeks ago may still be developing symptoms now.
WHO noted there is no indication this is the beginning of a larger global outbreak. But for the people who were on that ship, the 42-day quarantine period is far from over.
What's Happening to Passengers Now
The remaining passengers were evacuated in Tenerife on May 10. Since then the 150 people who were aboard have been scattered across multiple countries under quarantine or monitoring protocols.
Sixteen Americans were sent to the Regional Emerging Special Pathogen Treatment Center in Omaha and remain asymptomatic. Twenty-six people were flown to the Netherlands — eight Dutch nationals via medical transport, under orders to self-quarantine for six weeks. Fourteen Spanish passengers are quarantined at a military hospital in Madrid. One German passenger, one Japanese passenger, and 20 British nationals are at Arrowe Park Hospital in Merseyside, England, undergoing tests and quarantine.
WHO is recommending a 42-day quarantine starting from the day of departure from the ship for all passengers and crew — reflecting how long the incubation period can stretch and how seriously health authorities are taking the risk of further spread.
A French woman is on an artificial lung in Paris. Three people are dead. Dozens more are in quarantine across multiple continents waiting to find out if they're next.
Curious for more stories that keep you informed and entertained? From the latest headlines to everyday insights, YourLifeBuzz has more to explore. Dive into what’s next.