The hantavirus outbreak detected on the cruise ship MV Hondius has forced the activation in Spain of a broad health device for monitoring, isolation, and epidemiological surveillance. The Ministry of Health is keeping under control several cases linked to the ship and to people who were in contact with affected passengers during the voyage.
Although most of the passengers evacuated from Tenerife do not present symptoms, Spanish authorities have confirmed the existence of several positive cases, suspected cases, or cases under study related to the outbreak. The protocols approved by the Public Health Commission contemplate quarantines, periodic PCR tests, and hospital isolation for contacts considered at risk.
The Spanish operation has been developed mainly in the Gómez Ulla Hospital in Madrid, where the Spanish citizens evacuated from the cruise ship remain isolated and where a good part of the diagnostic tests coordinated by the National Microbiology Center are carried out.
The Spaniard with a positive PCR isolated at Gómez Ulla
The most relevant case communicated by the Spanish authorities is that of one of the 14 Spanish citizens evacuated from the MV Hondius and transferred to the Gómez Ulla Hospital.
The Ministry of Health reported this Monday that the first PCR performed on the passenger had tested positive for hantavirus, although it specified that the result was still pending definitive confirmation. The affected person did not present symptoms at the time of the test.
According to Health, the protocol establishes that any person with a positive PCR must be admitted to the High-Level Isolation Unit (UATAN) until their recovery is complete or the infection is definitively ruled out.
The passenger is part of the group of Spaniards repatriated from Tenerife after the disembarkation of the cruise ship. All of them remain under active surveillance and health monitoring during the maximum incubation period, set at 42 days.
The "inconclusive" case detected on board
Before the disembarkation in Tenerife, Spanish authorities had already detected a case that generated specific monitoring on board.
From the Ministry they detailed later that one of the tests carried out on board had yielded a "non-conclusive" result, while another subsequent PCR turned out negative. The passenger also did not present symptoms compatible with the disease.
Due to that combination of results and the absence of clinical symptoms, it was not initially considered a confirmed case of infection. Even so, the person was included within the surveillance and monitoring system applied to the rest of the close contacts of the outbreak.
Health authorities maintain periodic checks on all passengers evacuated from Spain to detect possible symptoms or changes in diagnostic results.
The woman located in Catalonia
Another of the episodes investigated in Spain affects a woman located in Catalonia who had been in contact with one of the deceased linked to the international outbreak of the MV Hondius.
The Center for Health Alerts and Emergencies Coordination confirmed days ago that this person was being monitored by health services as a close contact related to one of the cases detected outside of Spain.
To date, no confirmed positive case in this woman has been publicly reported, nor have severe symptoms associated with her clinical situation.
Spanish authorities activated tracking after learning that the person had been in contact with a deceased passenger related to the cruise ship before the hantavirus outbreak was officially confirmed.
The fourth case: a Spanish passenger with mild symptoms
Spanish health authorities also keep under observation another passenger evacuated from the cruise ship who presented mild symptoms compatible with the disease after arriving in Spain. The passenger developed a slight fever and general malaise during the post-disembarkation follow-up, which led to the activation of the protocol for suspected cases.
The affected person underwent new PCR tests and was preventively isolated while their clinical evolution was evaluated. So far, no confirmed positive result related to this case has been officially communicated. Health considers that any appearance of symptoms among people exposed to the outbreak must be treated with maximum caution due to the documented transmission capacity of the Andes variant of hantavirus.
Spanish passengers evacuated
In addition to the specific cases under study, the Spanish health device maintains surveillance over all citizens evacuated from Tenerife.
The 14 repatriated Spaniards were initially transferred to the Gómez Ulla Hospital under special biosecurity measures. There they remain in individual rooms and are subjected to periodic checks.
The protocol approved by the Public Health Commission establishes the performance of two PCRs: one upon admission and another seven days later. If any of the passengers develops symptoms compatible with hantavirus, they automatically move to the probable case category and are transferred to reinforced isolation areas.