All 26 people under observation in France for hantavirus tested negative, says minister

Michel Rose/Reuters

14 May 2026 at 13:37:32

All 26 people under observation in France for hantavirus tested negative, says minister

View of the Bichat Hospital, where repatriated French passengers from the MV Hondius hantavirus-hit ship are in quarantine, in Paris, France, May 11, 2026.

Abdul Saboor/Reuters

PARIS- All 26 people under observation in France for possible hantavirus infection have tested negative, the French health minister said on Thursday.

"These 26 people will continue to be medically monitored and tested three times a week. From now on, health authorities will no longer communicate these results, except in the event of a positive test," Stephanie Ritz said in a tweet.

Hantavirus is primarily spread by rodents but can be transmitted between people in rare cases. That requires close contact.

-Reporting by Michel Rose; Editing by Alex Richardson/Reuters