PARIS, May 11, 2026 (WAFA) – The French Minister of Health announced on Monday the first confirmed case of Hantavirus in France.

Last Saturday, the Director-General of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, sought to reassure the residents of the Spanish island of Tenerife that the risk associated with the arrival of a ship on which a Hantavirus outbreak had been detected was "minimal," thanking them for their "solidarity."

In an open letter addressed to the residents of the island, where the Dutch-flagged ship MV Hondias was scheduled to arrive on Sunday morning, he wrote: "I need you to hear me clearly: this is not a new COVID. The risk that Hantavirus currently poses to public health remains low."

The case has raised concerns among the island's residents, and regional authorities have refused to allow the ship to dock, deciding to keep it at sea while passengers undergo testing and are subsequently evacuated.

K.T