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Spanish national evacuated from hantavirus cruise ship tests positive

By Reuters Reuters
People wearing protective equipment interact with the crew of the cruise ship MV Hondius, which was affected by a hantavirus outbreak, after the ship arrived at the Port of Rotterdam, where Dutch authorities are preparing quarantine arrangements, in Rotterdam, Netherlands, May 18, 2026. REUTERS/Piroschka van de Wouw
People wearing protective equipment interact with the crew of the cruise ship MV Hondius, which was affected by a hantavirus outbreak, after the ship arrived at the Port of Rotterdam, where Dutch authorities are preparing quarantine arrangements, in Rotterdam, Netherlands, May 18, 2026. REUTERS/Piroschka van de Wouw Piroschka Van De Wouw Reuters

MADRID - A Spanish national in quarantine in a Madrid military hospital, who is among those evacuated from a cruise ship earlier this month, has tested positive of hantavirus, Spain's Health Ministry said on Monday.

It is the second positive case among the 14 Spanish nationals who were evacuated to the Spanish island of Tenerife from the luxury liner MV Hondius, which had been ​carrying around 150 passengers and crew from ⁠23 countries when a cluster of severe respiratory illnesses was first reported to the World Health Organization on May 2.

After confirming the infection, the Spanish national has been taken to an isolation unit at the Gómez Ulla Hospital, the Health Ministry said on X. It added that the fact that the case was detected among those already in quarantine "does not modify the risk situation" for the overall population.

(Reporting by Joan Faus; Editing by Toby Chopra)

Copyright Reuters or USA Today Network via Reuters Connect.

This story was originally published May 25, 2026 at 2:18 PM.

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