All suspected cases of hantavirus in France have tested negative
All 26 people who came into contact with patients infected with hantavirus in France have tested negative, but remain under close medical supervision.
Despite the absence of confirmed infections, medical professionals are taking precautionary measures due to the disease’s extremely high fatality rate.
French Health Minister Stéphanie Rist reported on social media platform X that the situation is currently under control.
“Today, all close contacts of the person with confirmed hantavirus who are in France have tested negative without exception,” Rist stated.
Four passengers on the cruise ship Hondius, as well as 22 people who had contact with a Dutch resident who died from the virus, are considered at risk.
Currently, only one patient over the age of 65 remains in intensive care with an officially confirmed diagnosis.
The French government decided not to risk the nation’s health, given the specific nature of this pathogen.
As a precautionary measure against a disease with a mortality rate estimated at 30–40% and a long incubation period, all 26 of these individuals are in hospital isolation.
According to experts, the virus’s incubation period can last up to 42 days, which necessitates keeping people hospitalized for an extended period.
During this period, the isolated individuals will be tested three times a week to detect possible symptoms at an early stage.
At this stage, medical professionals believe that a mass outbreak has been avoided.
The Ministry of Health plans to release information only in the event of positive test results in order to avoid creating unnecessary anxiety in the public.
The WHO director-general noted that hantavirus is not the new COVID
Hantavirus outbreak: experts assess the risks of a global pandemic.
We also reported: Among the crew members of the MV Hondius, where a hantavirus outbreak was recorded, are five Ukrainian citizens. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported that no signs of a deterioration in their health have been detected so far.
The disease on board the MV Hondius, owned by the Dutch company Oceanwide Expeditions, which has claimed the lives of three passengers, may have been introduced by Argentine rats or mice.
