Spain’s Ministry of Health said Monday that a Spanish national, who was evacuated from MV Hondius and is isolating at a hospital in Madrid, has tested positive of hantavirus.
The patient is one of the 14 Spaniards who were aboard the MV Hondius. They have been in quarantine at the Gómez Ulla Central Defense Hospital in Madrid since May 10.
Authorities stated that the patient is a close contact identified through the epidemiological monitoring activated after the initial detection of the outbreak on the cruise ship.
After the case was confirmed, the patient was transferred to the hospital’s High-Level Isolation Unit (UATAN), where they will remain under specialized medical supervision and the biosafety measures established for this type of case.
With this new case, the number of hantavirus positives among the Spanish passengers and crew members traveling on the vessel has risen to two.
