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France’s Health Minister Stephanie Rist speaks during a press conference to assess the situation regarding the hantavirus, in Paris on 12 May 2026.<\/p>\n
France confirms hantavirus infection from cruise ship and isolates contact cases<\/a><\/p>\n Intensive care treatment\u00a0<\/p>\n Doctors said the woman was suffering from the most severe cardiopulmonary form of the disease.<\/p>\n \u201cShe currently has the most severe form of cardiopulmonary presentation,\u201d infectious disease specialist<\/a> Xavier Lescure told reporters.<\/p>\n \u201cTo 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,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Authorities have also identified 22 close contacts<\/a>, all of whom have already been hospitalised or are in the process of being admitted for observation.<\/p>\n \u201cThey are doing very well and have no symptoms,\u201d Rist said.<\/p>\n The minister emphasised that all confirmed positive cases worldwide linked to the outbreak were currently limited to cruise passengers<\/a>, adding there was \u201cno evidence to suggest the virus is circulating within the country\u201d.<\/p>\n Contact cases are expected to remain in hospital for at least 14 days as a precautionary measure.<\/p>\n Why experts say the cruise ship hantavirus outbreak is not another Covid<\/a><\/p>\n France highlights preparedness<\/p>\n Questions over France\u2019s preparedness for any possible wider outbreak inevitably drew comparisons with the early days of Covid-19<\/a>, but the government insisted systems were now far stronger.<\/p>\n Rist said France had rebuilt its reserves of protective equipment following the pandemic.<\/p>\n \u201cFollowing Covid, we are on track to replenish mask stocks, so we have no concerns on that front,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n \u201cThese are rooms with ultra-secure air treatment systems using negative pressure,\u201d Lescure explained. \u201cThis significantly reduces airborne transmission<\/a> because the air is filtered and maintained at high negative pressure.\u201d<\/p>\n 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\u2019s mayor.<\/p>\n Another contact case has also been admitted to Marseille University Hospital, the Health Ministry said.<\/p>\n