French prime minister calls for stronger international coordination over hantavirus risk

French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu on Tuesday called for stronger international coordination in response to the hantavirus outbreak linked to the MV Hondius cruise ship.

“I have asked the ministers to immediately strengthen cooperation with neighboring states and to push for closer coordination of the health protocols in place within the European Union and the Schengen Area,” he said on the social media platform X.

He stated that the health minister had already contacted several European countries that received passengers from the MV Hondius to coordinate responses and share public health measures adopted by France.

“Breaking potential transmission chains requires the rapid sharing of information, decisions and feedback,” he added.

Hantavirus is a rare disease usually transmitted through infected rodents or their droppings, though the strain responsible for the outbreak, the Andes virus, can also spread between humans.

The outbreak has resulted in 11 known infections and three deaths so far, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

A French national evacuated from the cruise ship in Spain on Sunday later tested positive for the disease and was placed in intensive care in stable condition, Lecornu said Monday evening.

The evacuation operation carried out in Spain on Sunday and Monday involved passengers and crew from 23 countries, with health protocols varying between nations.

“Our health response is clear: for all contact cases, without exception, reinforced quarantine in a hospital setting,” Lecornu said.

The WHO recommends 42 days of monitoring and quarantine either at home or in a healthcare facility, though countries have interpreted the guidance differently.

For example, the Netherlands allows home quarantine with outdoor walks permitted, while Spanish passengers will quarantine for 42 days at a military hospital and Canada has imposed an initial 21-day isolation period.