Day after testing positive for hantavirus, French woman's health worsens

The health of a French woman who tested positive for hantavirus a day before has deteriorated in Paris, according to a CBC News report citing French Health Minister Stephanie Rist.

The woman was one of the five French nationals repatriated on Sunday after being evacuated from the cruise ship MV Hondius. While specific clinical details were not disclosed, reports indicate she began developing symptoms during her flight to Paris. After landing in Paris, she, along with other French nationals, was taken to the Paris Bichat hospital, where all of them were initially placed under quarantine for three days.

French authorities had initially planned to discharge all five individuals for a 45-day home quarantine following a three-day hospital observation. However, given the woman’s declining health, it remains uncertain when she will be fit for release.

Apart from the woman, the condition of the rest of the French nationals is unknown yet.

US PASSENGERS TESTED POSITIVE FOR HANTAVIRUS

Among the 17 US passengers who were on board the MV Hondius ship, two tested positive for the rat-borne disease, which killed three passengers of the ship.

Of the two, one does not have any symptoms, and the other person is witnessing mild symptoms, CBS News wrote, citing US health officials.

All passengers were flown to Nebraska and transported to the University of Nebraska Medical Centre. They will be housed in a federally funded quarantine facility to assess their risk levels and determine if they had close contact with any symptomatic individuals. The medical centre also houses a special unit for treating people with several other highly infectious diseases. The unit was earlier used to treat people who were suffering from the COVID-19 pandemic and EBOLA.

Meanwhile, the World Health Organisation (WHO) issued a set of directives in which it suggested measures like isolating symptomatic individuals and monitoring high-risk contacts for 42 days, implementing rigorous cleaning, and several others.

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