French hantavirus patient is critically ill as outbreak grows to 11
Global Health French hantavirus patient is critically ill as outbreak grows to 11 May 13, 20263:31 AM ET By The Associated Press An ambulance enters the Bichat Hospital where a woman who tested positive for hantavirus...
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Key developments are emerging from the global stage. Global Health French hantavirus patient is critically ill as outbreak grows to 11 May 13, 20263:31 AM ET By The Associated Press An ambulance enters the Bichat Hospital where a woman who tested positive for hantavirus remains in intensive care, in Paris, Tuesday, May 12, 2026. Michel Euler/AP hide caption toggle caption Michel Euler/AP PARIS — A French woman infected in the deadly hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship is critically ill and being treated with an artificial lung, a doctor at the Paris hospital caring for the sickened passenger said Tuesday. The outbreak has now reached 11 total reported cases, 9 of which have been confirmed.
Global Health Why cruise ship passengers with possible hantavirus exposure went to Nebraska Three people on the cruise died, including a Dutch couple that health officials believe were the first exposed to the virus while visiting South America. The French passenger hospitalized in Paris has a severe form of the disease that has caused life-threatening lung and heart problems, said Dr. Xavier Lescure, an infectious disease specialist at Bichat Hospital.
The Details
He said the woman is on a life-support device that pumps blood through an artificial lung, providing it with oxygen and returning it to the body. The hope is that the device relieves enough pressure on the lungs and heart to give them some time to recover. Lescure called it "the final stage of supportive care.
" Sponsor Message With the evacuation of all passengers and many crew members completed, the MV Hondius is now sailing back to the Netherlands, where it will be cleaned and disinfected. Director General of the World Health Organization (WHO) Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus gives a press conference at the Moncloa Palace in Madrid, Tuesday, May 12, 2026. Carlos Lujan/AP/Europa Press hide caption toggle caption Carlos Lujan/AP/Europa Press The director of the World Health Organization said confirmed and suspected cases have only been reported among the cruise ship's passengers or crew.
"At the moment, there is no sign that we are seeing the start of a larger outbreak," said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the WHO director general. He added: "But of course the situation could change, and given the long incubation period of the virus, it's possible we might see more cases in the coming weeks. " The latest person confirmed to be infected is a Spanish passenger who tested positive for hantavirus after being evacuated from the ship, Spain's health ministry said Tuesday.
What Experts Say
The passenger was in quarantine at a military hospital in Madrid. Health authorities say it is the first hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship. While there is no cure or vaccine for hantavirus, the WHO says early detection and treatment improves survival rates.
Argentina sending experts to investigate source of outbreak Argentina's health ministry said Tuesday a team of scientific experts will be dispatched in the coming days to investigate the origin of outbreak.
The development has drawn wide international attention, with diplomatic circles watching closely.
