Speaking on Tuesday, Health Minister Stéphanie Rist, flanked by infectious disease specialists at a press conference in Paris, sought to calm anxieties.
The message was reinforced by President Emmanuel Macron, speaking from Nairobi, who said the situation in France was under control.
“Today, the government undoubtedly has one of the most stringent protocols – like Spain and a few others, which is a good thing, because we have the experience of the past,” Macron said, referring to lessons learned during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The French patient, a woman aged over 65, had been among five passengers repatriated to France on a special flight last weekend. She is currently being treated in intensive care at Bichat Hospital in Paris and remains in a “serious condition”, Rist said.
France’s Health Minister Stephanie Rist speaks during a press conference to assess the situation regarding the hantavirus, in Paris on 12 May 2026.
France confirms hantavirus infection from cruise ship and isolates contact cases
Intensive care treatment
Doctors said the woman was suffering from the most severe cardiopulmonary form of the disease.
“She currently has the most severe form of cardiopulmonary presentation,” infectious disease specialist Xavier Lescure told reporters.
“To provide artificial oxygenation, she has an artificial lung and a blood bypass system to help her, we hope, pull through while the lungs damaged by the virus and the lesions in the vascular wall recover,” he added.
Despite the severity of the case, officials stressed that the four other repatriated passengers were in good health and under close medical supervision in hospital.
Authorities have also identified 22 close contacts, all of whom have already been hospitalised or are in the process of being admitted for observation.
“They are doing very well and have no symptoms,” Rist said.
The minister emphasised that all confirmed positive cases worldwide linked to the outbreak were currently limited to cruise passengers, adding there was “no evidence to suggest the virus is circulating within the country”.
Contact cases are expected to remain in hospital for at least 14 days as a precautionary measure.
Why experts say the cruise ship hantavirus outbreak is not another Covid
France highlights preparedness
Questions over France’s preparedness for any possible wider outbreak inevitably drew comparisons with the early days of Covid-19, but the government insisted systems were now far stronger.
Rist said France had rebuilt its reserves of protective equipment following the pandemic.
“Following Covid, we are on track to replenish mask stocks, so we have no concerns on that front,” she said.
She also said hospitals had encountered no difficulties in finding beds for the contact cases, all of whom are being housed in specially equipped isolation units.
“These are rooms with ultra-secure air treatment systems using negative pressure,” Lescure explained. “This significantly reduces airborne transmission because the air is filtered and maintained at high negative pressure.”
Elsewhere in France, a contact case identified in the western town of Concarneau was transferred to Rennes University Hospital on Tuesday morning, according to the town’s mayor.
Another contact case has also been admitted to Marseille University Hospital, the Health Ministry said.
Rist was to meet members of the French National Assembly’s Social Affairs Committee on Wednesday before holding talks later in the day with fellow European health ministers as authorities continue to coordinate their response.
(with newswires)