The French passenger infected with hantavirus has been placed in intensive care.

A French passenger on the expedition ship MV Hondius She is currently battling an extremely severe form of hantavirus after being repatriated to France. Hospitalized at Bichat Hospital in Paris, this woman in her sixties is in intensive care with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), a device nicknamed an "artificial lung," used when respiratory and cardiac functions are severely compromised. Doctors believe her condition remains critical.

The infection is linked to the outbreak that occurred on board the MV HondiusA cruise ship that departed from Ushuaia, Argentina, in early April, is suspected of having infected several passengers with the Andes virus, a rare strain of hantavirus known to be the only one capable of human-to-human transmission under certain close circumstances. Since the start of the outbreak, at least three deaths have been recorded among the passengers, and several confirmed or suspected cases have been reported in Europe, the United States, and South Africa.

International surveillance under pressure

French authorities have identified 22 people considered high-risk contacts. All are under strict isolation and daily medical monitoring. The government, however, emphasizes that there is currently no widespread transmission of the virus within the country. According to initial genetic analyses conducted by European laboratories, no specific mutation of the virus has yet been detected, although investigations are continuing with the support of the WHO and Argentinian experts specializing in this disease.

Hantavirus is primarily transmitted through the inhalation of contaminated particles from rodent urine or feces. The Andes strain, identified in this case, circulates mainly in South America. Initial symptoms often resemble those of the common flu before a possible sudden deterioration into acute cardiopulmonary syndrome. Currently, there is no specific antiviral treatment, and management relies primarily on intensive care. The World Health Organization is now urging affected countries to prepare for the emergence of new cases linked to this cruise.