France – The French Health Ministry has confirmed the nation’s first case of hantavirus in a female passenger recently evacuated from the MV Hondius cruise ship. Health Minister Stéphanie Rist announced the findings following the repatriation of five French nationals who had been placed in strict quarantine in Paris. Reports indicate that the patient’s condition deteriorated overnight, leading to positive test results for the virus. In response, French authorities have identified twenty-two individuals within the country as close contacts and are monitoring them with high vigilance.

This development follows a broader international outbreak involving the Andes strain of hantavirus, a rare and dangerous variant capable of limited human-to-human transmission. The United States has also reported a confirmed case among seventeen repatriated citizens, with another individual showing mild symptoms. While hantavirus is typically spread by rodents, the Andes strain is particularly concerning as it can cause severe respiratory failure, with a mortality rate reaching fifty per cent in some instances. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu is scheduled to chair a further emergency meeting to oversee the containment strategy and ensure public safety.