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Hantavirus outbreak: 2 Indians onboard MV Hondius 'asymptomatic and healthy', says Indian embassy in Spain
Hantavirus outbreak: The two Indian nationals have been evacuated to the Netherlands and will be quarantined under the health safety protocol, the embassy said.
Two Indians onboard MV Hondius are asymptomatic and healthy, Indian embassy in Spain said on Sunday.
The two Indian nationals were travelling as crew on the hantavirus-linked ship and have been evacuated to the Netherlands and will be quarantined under the health safety protocol, the embassy said in a statement.
Also read: Hantavirus cruise outbreak update: What happens to the passengers on board?
“The Ambassador is in close contact with the Spanish authorities and the 02 Indian nationals (crew members) and is regularly monitoring the situation to assure the well-being and safety of the Indian nationals,” the statement further read.
Meanwhile, France has said that one of five French passengers who were on a cruise ship hit by a hantavirus outbreak showed symptoms during a repatriation flight on Sunday.
"One of them showed symptoms in the repatriation plane," French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu posted on X. "These five passengers have immediately been placed in strict isolation until further notice.
"They are getting medical treatment and will have tests and a medical check-up," he added.
On Sunday, the first group of passengers of the cruise ship hit by the hantavirus outbreak began disembarking into small boats. The evacuation process comes after the cruise ship MV Hondius was hit by an outbreak of Hantavirus, which spreads through urine and droppings of infected rodents, and is rarely transmitted between people.
The Dutch-flagged MV Hondius arrived at the small industrial port of Granadilla on Tenerife early on Sunday.
The Spanish health ministry has said that no more than 140 people on the Hondius have shown symptoms of the virus.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus reiterated that the general public should not be worried about the outbreak.
“We have been repeating the same answer many times," he said. "This is not another COVID. And the risk to the public is low. So they shouldn’t be scared and they shouldn’t panic.”
