The Coordination Center for Health Alerts and Emergencies (CCAES) has identified in Catalonia a second close contact related to the hantavirus case associated with the Dutch citizen who died after traveling on the cruise ship MV Hondius. This is a woman residing in the autonomous community who, for the moment, remains asymptomatic.
According to the epidemiological investigation, the person had not been located in the first phase of contact tracing due to a change of seat during the flight in which they coincided with the affected passenger, which complicated the initial reconstruction of contacts. Once identified, they have been incorporated into the health surveillance circuit provided for this type of case.
Immediate activation of the protocol and hospital follow-up
According to the protocol approved by the Alert and Preparedness and Response Plans Committee, the woman meets close contact criteria, so the established monitoring measures have been activated.
Health authorities have agreed with the Generalitat of Catalonia that the quarantine will be carried out in a hospital center in the community, with the aim of guaranteeing clinical surveillance and reducing additional movements or interactions during the observation period.
The Catalan Department of Health has already launched the corresponding actions and maintains coordination with the Ministry of Health in monitoring the case.
Institutional Deployment in Tenerife with the WHO
In parallel with the progress of the epidemiological investigation, the Government has reinforced the coordination device around the outbreak linked to the MV Hondius.
The Minister of Health, Mónica García, will travel this Saturday to Tenerife together with the Minister of the Interior, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, and the Director-General of the WHO, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, to supervise the operation activated in the port of Granadilla.
The Minister of Territorial Policy, Ángel Víctor Torres, will join the delegation on a visit that seeks to reinforce coordination between administrations and monitor the health protocol.
From the advanced Command Post, control of the device will be carried out, focused on epidemiological surveillance, contact tracing, and the application of preventive measures around the cruise passengers.