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Hantavirus live updates: Patient in France presenting 'severe form' of virus
The French patient is "in intensive care in a serious condition."
The total number of confirmed and probable cases of hantavirus onboard the MV Hondius cruise ship has risen to 11, including two people confirmed to have died from the virus and one person who remains suspected to have died from the virus.
Passengers disembarked the cruise ship in Tenerife, in the Canary Islands, to be transferred to charter flights back to their home countries.
On Monday, 16 American cruise ship passengers arrived at the University of Nebraska Medical Center; 15 are in the quarantine unit and one person who tested positive is in the biocontainment unit, officials said. Two other American cruise ship passengers were flown to Atlanta for "further assessment and care," officials said.
Key Headlines
- American quarantining in Nebraska shares video tour of his room
- Passengers in Nebraska undergoing in-depth interviews, symptom monitoring
- 2 people being monitored in Seattle area
- 25 crew, 2 medical staff remain on ship; no one has symptoms
- Positive patient in France presenting 'severe form,' in 'serious condition'
What is hantavirus and how does it spread?
Here's what you need to know about hantavirus including what it is, how it spreads, how it's treated and if there are any prevention methods:
What is hantavirus?
Hantaviruses are a family of viruses that can cause serious illnesses and death, according to the CDC.
How does hantavirus spread?
Hantaviruses may also spread from person to person, but that also is rare and only suspected for one subtype from South America, according to the WHO.
Read more about hantavirus here.
State Dept says it will arrange repatriation flight for Americans on ship
The State Department said Friday that it is in "direct communication with Americans on board" the Dutch cruise ship impacted by the hantavirus outbreak and "prepared to provide consular assistance as soon as the ship arrives in Tenerife, Spain."
The department added that it is arranging a repatriation flight to support the return of those American passengers.
The department said it was working in coordination with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the Spanish government to plan for the transport of those passengers.
Additionally, the department said it is still "closely tracking the hantavirus outbreak" on the MV Hondius and remains in "close contact" with the cruise ship staff and international health authorities.
-ABC News' Shannon Kingston
New hantavirus case reported in Spain
A woman in the Spanish province of Alicante has tested positive for a hantavirus infection, secretary of state for health, Javier Padilla, told reporters on Friday, according to Reuters.
The unidentified patient was a passenger on the same flight as the woman who died in South Africa after leaving the ship, according to Padilla.
-ABC News' Zoe Magee
MV Hondius expected to arrive at Granadilla Port on Sunday by noon
The MV Hondius is now expected to arrive at Granadilla Port on Sunday by 12 p.m. local time, but could be delayed depending on weather conditions, officials said.
The ship will not dock upon arrival but will be anchored, and all passengers will be wearing hazmat gear as they are transferred by boat to the port, according to a statement from the Canarias Region government.
The passengers will then be transferred by a bus that is escorted by authorities to the airport where they will begin boarding aircraft by nationality with 23 nationalities on board in total, officials said.
The ride between Granadilla Port and Tenerife South Airport is expected to last approximately 15 minutes and officials said that passengers, as well as the vessel, will be completely isolated from Canarian people and not affect any local infrastructure.
-ABC News' Aicha El Hammar Castano
UK says 'British national on Tristan da Cunha' tests positive
The United Kingdom's Health Security Agency (UKHSA) announced on Friday morning there is “an additional suspected case of a British national on Tristan da Cunha,” while a Dutch KLM flight attendant who was thought to have it has tested negative for Hantavirus, officials said.
The total case suspected count remains at 12 after these latest developments.
UKHSA also said that “All British passengers and crew on board the MV Hondius will be asked to isolate for 45 days upon returning to the UK and UKHSA will closely monitor these individuals, with testing as required.”
-ABC News' Zoe Magee