Spanish man contracts Hantavirus, health ministry says

Spain’s Health Ministry reported a new hantavirus case on Monday weeks after an outbreak of the rare rodent-borne virus aboard a Dutch cruise ship. Officials identified the new case involving someone who was already under quarantine after having close contact with an individual onboard the MV Hondius. The health ministry placed the man in a higher level isolation where he would receive specialized medical supervision, but did not describe the severity of his symptoms.

The virus outbreak has caused widespread concern because of its high fatality rate and because the variant on the cruise ship has been known to pass from person to person. 

What’s the total case count now? As of Sunday, officials had officially confirmed 12 cases of the virus, according to an update from World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. A total of three deaths were reported, with the last death reported on May 2, Ghebreyesus added. The director-general previously noted that officials expected more cases to emerge because of the virus’s six-to-eight-week incubation period. Both passengers and crew of the ship remained under quarantine, Ghebreyesus added.