{"id":333133,"date":"2026-05-11T23:56:03","date_gmt":"2026-05-11T18:26:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/?p=333133"},"modified":"2026-05-11T23:56:03","modified_gmt":"2026-05-11T18:26:03","slug":"hantavirus-cases-grow-as-ships-captain-calls-experience-very-painful-national","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/index.php\/2026\/05\/11\/hantavirus-cases-grow-as-ships-captain-calls-experience-very-painful-national\/","title":{"rendered":"Hantavirus cases grow as ship\u2019s captain calls experience \u2018very painful\u2019 – National"},"content":{"rendered":"

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A French woman and an American have tested positive for the hantavirus as passengers from the cruise ship hit by a deadly outbreak have disembarked and are preparing to quarantine.<\/p>\n

Passengers from the ship began flying home aboard military and government planes Sunday after the MV Hondius anchored within the Canary Islands. Personnel in full-body protective gear and respiratory masks escorted the travellers from ship to shore in Tenerife, an effort that continued Monday.<\/p>\n

The World Health Organization (WHO) really useful close monitoring of the previous passengers and the various countries quarantining them.<\/p>\n

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The planes arriving in Tenerife were to fly out passengers from greater than 20 countries in an evacuation effort that was resulting from wrap up on Monday.<\/p>\n

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Three people have died for the reason that outbreak began\u00a0and 6 people have been infected, WHO spokesperson Sarah Tyler told The Associated Press Monday. She said one person from the U.S. showed inconclusive lab results.<\/p>\n

The ship\u2019s captain, Jan Dobrogowski, issued an almost three-minute video message Monday<\/a> praising passengers and crew for his or her perseverance.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve decided to take this time to thank each guest and crew member on board here in addition to our colleagues back home,\u201d Dobrogowski began. \u201cThe past few weeks have been extremely difficult to us all, as I\u2019m sure you understand. What moved me probably the most was your patience, discipline and likewise kindness that you just showed to one another.\u201d<\/p>\n

The captain said he witnessed everyone\u2019s \u201ccaring, unity and quiet strength\u201d on the MV Hondius through the hantavirus outbreak.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have to commend my crew for the courage and the selfless resolve that they showed again and again in probably the most difficult moments,\u201d he said. \u201cI couldn’t imagine sailing through these circumstances with a greater group of individuals, guests and crew alike.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMost significantly, our thoughts are with those which can be not with us. I do know whatever I say is not going to ease this loss. But I\u2019d such as you to know [they] are with us day by day in our hearts and our thoughts,\u201d the captain added of the passengers who died through the voyage resulting from the hantavirus outbreak.<\/p>\n

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Dobrogowski said in a situation just like the hantavirus outbreak, \u201cevery image and each word may be taken out of context,\u201d which may be \u201cvery painful to the people on board.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause the captain of Hondius, my job is to guide my crew, deal with my guests and see the ship safely to port. Our responsibility doesn’t end with our arrival within the Canaries. We\u2019ve all been a component of this voyage and I wish nothing more to everybody, guests and crew alike, to have the opportunity to go home safely and in good health,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

Dobrogowski asked for \u201cprivacy and respect to our guests and their families and the crew members during this difficult time.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve sailed through this together across the ocean and now we hope to see everybody safely at home,\u201d he concluded his video message.<\/p>\n

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British Columbia\u2019s top doctor said the 4 passengers returning home from the hantavirus-hit cruise ship remain in a \u201ccritical period\u201d on Sunday, but stressed she wouldn’t call them \u201cpatients\u201d as they should not considered infected.<\/p>\n

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Dr. Bonnie Henry told reporters they will probably be monitoring the 4 passengers and ensuring they’re cared for through the minimum isolation period of 21 days.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe all know as well the incubation period of this strain of the virus may be so long as six weeks, so we\u2019re at actually a critical period,\u201d she said. \u201cWe all know the median incubation period is about 15 to 18 days, so we\u2019re still in a time period after we might even see more cases arise.\u201d<\/p>\n

She added the 4 people had exposure to the virus but have shown no symptoms.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo we treat them as contacts, we hope that none of them are infected and that none of them will develop disease,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n

Henry said that she doesn’t expect the 4 Canadians to \u201ckeep in touch with the general public during this arrival process or during their isolation period.\u201d<\/p>\n

In line with Henry, the 21-day isolation period goes back to the last potential contact with any individual who had the virus, which is believed to be May 6.<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\tRecent cases in France and United States\t\t\t<\/h2>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

The French woman tested positive for hantavirus and her health worsened within the hospital overnight, French Health Minister Stephanie Rist said Monday.<\/p>\n

The girl was amongst five French passengers repatriated on Sunday. She developed symptoms on the flight to Paris, Rist told public broadcaster France-Inter<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The 4 other French passengers from the ship tested negative, but will probably be retested, Rist added. Health authorities said they’ve to date identified 22 hantavirus contact cases in France, in keeping with France 24<\/a>.<\/p>\n

One among 17 American passengers evacuated from the ship and flown to Nebraska also tested positive for hantavirus but just isn’t showing any symptoms and one other had mild symptoms, U.S. health officials said on Sunday.<\/p>\n

The flight landed within the early hours of Monday morning and passengers were transferred to awaiting buses and driven away from the airport.<\/p>\n

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The American passengers will probably be taken to the University of Nebraska Medical Center, which has a quarantine facility, to evaluate whether or not they have been in close contact with any symptomatic people and their risk levels for spreading the virus.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne passenger will probably be transported to the Nebraska Biocontainment Unit upon arrival, while other passengers will go to the National Quarantine Unit for assessment and monitoring. The passenger who’s going to the Biocontainment Unit tested positive for the virus but doesn’t have symptoms,\u201d Kayla Thomas, a spokesperson for the Nebraska Medicine network, told The Associated Press.<\/p>\n

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Nebraska Medicine and the University of Nebraska Medical Center were asked by federal partners to receive and monitor U.S. residents from the cruise ship.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe’re prepared for situations exactly like this,\u201d said Michael Ash, MD, CEO of Nebraska Medicine<\/a>. \u201cOur teams have trained for many years alongside federal and state partners to be sure we are able to safely provide care while protecting our staff and the broader community. We’re proud to support this national effort.\u201d<\/p>\n

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John Lowe, director of the Global Center for Health Security, said that their role is to \u201cprovide a controlled, secure environment where people may be monitored and, if needed, cared for using the very best safety standards.\u201d<\/p>\n

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