French Health Authorities Record First Hantavirus Case

Health authorities in the French Republic announced the recording of the first Hantavirus case on its territory. Hantaviruses usually spread through rodents, but in rare cases can be transmitted from person to person. Health authorities confirmed that the risk of the virus spreading remains low. According to a report issued by the World Health Organization, eight people aboard a ship were infected with the disease, with six of them confirmed to have the virus. Three people, including two Dutch nationals and one German national, died from the infection. The Andes strain of Hantavirus, which was detected in the outbreak aboard the ship, causes severe respiratory symptoms and can lead to death in up to fifty percent of cases.