French cruise passenger with hantavirus placed on artificial lung

A French woman infected during the hantavirus outbreak linked to the cruise ship MV Hondius is in critical condition and receiving treatment with an artificial lung at a hospital in Paris, doctors said on Tuesday.

The woman is being treated at Bichat Hospital, where infectious disease specialist Xavier Lescure said she developed a severe form of the illness causing serious lung and heart complications. He said doctors placed her on a life-support system that pumps blood through an artificial lung to provide oxygen and reduce pressure on the lungs and heart, News.Az reports, citing France 24.

According to doctors, the treatment represents the final stage of supportive care as medical teams hope her organs can recover.

The outbreak linked to the cruise ship has now reached 11 reported cases, nine of which have been officially confirmed. Three passengers have died, including a Dutch couple believed to have first contracted the virus during a trip through South America before boarding the ship.

Spanish health authorities also confirmed that another passenger tested positive after being evacuated from the vessel and placed in quarantine at a military hospital in Madrid.

The MV Hondius is now sailing back to the Netherlands after all passengers and many crew members were evacuated. Authorities said the ship will undergo cleaning and disinfection procedures upon arrival.

Health officials stated that confirmed and suspected infections have so far only been detected among passengers and crew from the cruise ship. They added there is currently no evidence of a wider outbreak, although additional cases may still appear because of the virus’s long incubation period.

Argentina’s health ministry announced that a scientific team will investigate the possible origin of the outbreak. Officials said the Dutch couple who later died had visited several South American countries and reportedly took part in a bird-watching tour that included a stop at a garbage dump where they may have been exposed to infected rodents.

More than 120 passengers and crew members were evacuated from the ship in Tenerife by medical teams wearing protective equipment. Several evacuees were flown to the Netherlands and placed into quarantine.

Dutch authorities also quarantined 12 hospital employees after bodily fluids from an infected passenger were reportedly handled without following stricter safety procedures. Officials described the risk of infection as low but said preventive isolation measures were necessary.

Hantavirus is usually spread through exposure to rodent droppings and is not commonly transmitted between people. However, the Andes strain linked to the outbreak may spread between humans in rare cases. Symptoms can include fever, chills and muscle pain and may appear weeks after exposure.

News.Az 

By Leyla Şirinova