All passengers on the ship where an outbreak of hantavirus has been reported are considered to have been in contact with infected individuals. This was reported by RBC-Ukraine, citing Reuters.
According to the European Health Agency, this decision was made as a precautionary measure ahead of the ship’s scheduled stop on Sunday at the Spanish island of Tenerife. Passengers without symptoms will be repatriated for self-isolation via specially organized transport, rather than regular commercial flights.
According to the World Health Organization, eight people have fallen ill, three of whom have died. Among the deceased are a married couple from the Netherlands and a German citizen. Six of the eight people have tested positive for hantavirus, while two have not.
Although all passengers will be considered high-risk upon disembarkation, this does not mean that all of them will be considered as such upon returning to their countries. The agency has called for priority medical examination and testing of passengers with symptoms.
