French Hantavirus Patient Critical on Artificial Lung

A French woman repatriated from a cruise ship affected by a hantavirus outbreak is in critical condition at a Paris hospital, receiving treatment with an artificial lung, health officials said Tuesday.

The patient was evacuated from the vessel after contracting the virus. Hantavirus infections can cause hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, a severe respiratory illness with high mortality rates if untreated. The outbreak aboard the cruise ship has raised concerns about disease transmission in confined environments.

France's health ministry is monitoring the situation. Hantavirus is transmitted to humans through contact with infected rodent droppings, urine, or saliva, and person-to-person transmission is rare. The case highlights biosecurity challenges in maritime travel.