French Cruise Passenger Shows Hantavirus Symptoms During Repatriation Flight, Says PM

One of five French citizens repatriated from a cruise ship hit by a hantavirus outbreak showed symptoms of the disease during the return flight on Sunday, French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu confirmed.

“Five of our compatriots present on the MV Hondius… One of them exhibited symptoms on the repatriation flight,” Lecornu said on X, adding that all five passengers had been placed in strict isolation. “They are receiving medical care and will undergo testing and a full health assessment.”

Cinq de nos compatriotes présents sur le MV Hondius, foyer d’infection à Hantavirus, ont été rapatriés sur le territoire national. L’un d’entre eux a présenté des symptômes dans l’avion de rapatriement.

Aussi, ces cinq passagers ont tout de suite été placés en

isolement strict…

— Sébastien Lecornu (@SebLecornu) May 10, 2026

The French Prime Minister also announced that a decree would be issued later to authorise additional isolation measures to protect the public.

The five French nationals were evacuated from the MV Hondius, which was anchored off Tenerife, in Spain, as part of a coordinated international repatriation effort. From Tenerife, passengers were flown either to their home countries or to the Netherlands for medical evaluation.

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A jet carrying the French passengers landed at Le Bourget airport near Paris shortly before 4:30 pm (1430 GMT). They were then transferred under police escort in ambulances to Bichat Hospital for immediate medical attention.

Initially, the plan called for a 72-hour quarantine to allow for comprehensive medical examinations before returning home for continued monitoring under strict medical supervision for 45 days.

One passenger, Roland Seitre, had earlier expressed confidence in the process, saying, “Three days under surveillance, that doesn’t bother us at all. We haven’t had any cases on board since the end of April, and nobody is sick.”

However, the appearance of symptoms has prompted authorities to tighten measures. Lecornu held a special meeting with top ministers, including Health Minister Stephanie Rist, Interior Minister Laurent Nunez, and Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot, to coordinate care and supervision of the newly symptomatic passenger.

Flights for other former MV Hondius passengers continued Sunday, bound for countries including Britain, Canada, Ireland, Turkey, and the United States. The World Health Organization has classified all former passengers as high-risk contacts requiring 42 days of medical supervision.

Three passengers, including a Dutch couple and a German woman, have died, and several others have tested positive for the Andes virus, the only hantavirus type known to spread between humans. Officials stress the situation remains contained and is not comparable in risk to the Covid-19 pandemic.

(With inputs from AFP)