Spain Confirms New Hantavirus Case as Cruise Ship Outbreak Grows to 11

Health officials in Spain have confirmed a new case of hantavirus linked to the cruise ship MV Hondius, bringing the total number of confirmed infections connected to the outbreak to 11, including three deaths.

According to Spain’s Ministry of Health, the infected passenger, a Spanish national who had been under observation at Madrid’s Gómez Ulla Hospital, initially tested preliminary positive before the diagnosis was officially confirmed on Tuesday. Authorities said the patient remains in stable condition despite earlier reports that his symptoms had worsened.

The ministry also confirmed that 13 other passengers being monitored at the hospital tested negative for the virus. Spanish passengers from the vessel were among the first to disembark in Tenerife on Sunday and were transported to a military hospital for isolation and evaluation.

The outbreak aboard the Dutch-operated expedition cruise ship has drawn international concern after the World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed 11 cases tied to the vessel, nine of them identified as the Andes strain of hantavirus. All confirmed cases involve passengers or crew members from the MV Hondius.

WHO officials say there is currently no evidence suggesting the outbreak is expanding beyond those directly connected to the ship.