A French woman, who was diagnosed with hantavirus on a cruise ship, has been critically ill and is being treated with an artificial lung, a doctor at a Paris hospital said on Tuesday. The hantavirus outbreak has now infected 11 people, of which 9 cases have been confirmed.
Till now, at least three people have died due to the deadly virus, including a Dutch couple which the health officials believe were the first to be exposed to the virus while visiting South America.
According to Dr Xavier Lescure of Bichat Hospital, the French passenger hospitalised in Paris has a severe form of the disease which has caused life-threatening lung and heart issues.
The doctor added that the woman is on life-support system which pumps blood through an artificial lung, provides it with oxygen and then returns to the body, AP reported. The health officials hope the device relieves some pressure on heart and lungs in order for the organs to recover in some time. Dr Lescure said the process is known as “the final stage of supportive care.”
The World Health Organisation (WHO) director Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus earlier said the confirmed and suspected cases of hantavirus have only been reported in the MV Hondius cruise ship’s crew or passengers.
“At the moment, there is no sign that we are seeing the start of a larger outbreak,” Ghebreyesus said. The WHO chief added, “But of course the situation could change, and given the long incubation period of the virus, it’s possible we might see more cases in the coming weeks.”
Among the latest case of hantavirus being contracted, a Spanish passenger has tested positive after being evacuated from the cruise, Spain’s health ministry confirmed on Tuesday. The infected person remains in quarantine at a military hospital in Madrid, AP reported.
Health officials have said that it is the first instance of hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship, while there’s no cure for the deadly virus, WHO has said if it detected early and treated, the survival chances improves.
