French President Emmanuel Macron declared on Tuesday that the hantavirus situation in France is 'under control' and called for stronger European coordination to contain the virus. Speaking at a press conference in Nairobi at the close of the Africa Forward summit, Macron said the government had 'made the right decisions' and praised healthcare workers for their efforts.
'The government has made the right decisions. The situation is under control under its authority, thanks to our healthcare workers,' Macron stated. He noted that Paris, along with Madrid and several other capitals, had implemented 'one of the most stringent protocols' based on expert recommendations and past experience.
Call for European Coordination
Macron emphasised the need for a unified European response. 'Now, it is important to have genuine European coordination, meaning that protocols should move towards the most demanding standards that have been defined in the very short term, and that the World Health Organisation should be able to coordinate all this properly in the next stages,' he added. The call comes as the outbreak, linked to the cruise ship MV Hondius, has raised concerns across the continent.
France's Health Minister Stéphanie Rist told the National Assembly on Tuesday that there is 'no evidence' of widespread circulation of the Andes strain of hantavirus on French territory. Officials are relatively certain the virus has not mutated. All positive cases identified so far have been exclusively cruise passengers, Rist added.
In France, all 22 contact cases have been contacted, tested, and are either hospitalised or 'in the process' of being hospitalised, according to the government. However, a French woman infected in the outbreak remains critically ill and is being treated in Paris with an artificial lung. Dr. Xavier Lescure, an infectious disease specialist at Bichat Hospital, said the patient has a severe form of the disease causing life-threatening lung and heart problems. She is on a life-support device that pumps blood through an artificial lung, providing oxygen and returning it to the body.
The outbreak has prompted international responses. The UK military air-dropped medics to Tristan da Cunha over a hantavirus scare, while Tenerife residents remained calm as the cruise ship docked. Three people were evacuated from the MV Hondius in Cape Verde over suspected hantavirus. Spain and the WHO have hailed the cruise evacuation as a model of solidarity.
Epidemiologist Antoine Flahault described the situation as 'quite unusual and unprecedented,' which explains why health authorities are taking very strong measures. He noted that past viruses have spread from remote places with limited health surveillance, rather than from a ship carrying 147 people where authorities can identify cases and trace contacts effectively.
The outbreak has also raised questions about the virus's origin. A Dutch ornithologist is suspected as patient zero in the cruise ship outbreak, and Ushuaia officials have denied a landfill link. The situation remains fluid, with European health authorities closely monitoring developments.
