Radboud University Medical Center in the Netherlands has placed 12 employees in quarantine for six weeks due to errors in handling a hantavirus-infected patient. The hospital identified issues with blood sample procedures and urine disposal, leading to the precautionary measure. Despite low infection risk, the hospital emphasized the significant impact on those involved.
The hospital admitted a hantavirus-infected patient from a Dutch cruise ship, prompting the quarantine. Spanish Health Minister Monica Garcia reported that one of the Spanish evacuees from the same cruise ship has preliminarily tested positive for the virus. The infected individual is asymptomatic and under observation at a hospital in Madrid.
The outbreak is suspected to involve the Andes strain of hantavirus, known for possible person-to-person transmission through close contact. The virus is typically spread through exposure to infected rodent urine or droppings. Multiple confirmed and suspected cases linked to the outbreak have led to evacuations and monitoring in various countries.
