Health authorities in Spain are investigating a new suspected hantavirus infection connected to the deadly outbreak aboard the MV Hondius, as officials continue tracking passengers across multiple countries.

The Spanish Health Ministry said a 32-year-old woman in the city of Alicante is being treated after possible exposure during a flight linked to infected cruise ship passengers.

Woman sat near passenger who later died

Spanish officials said the woman had been seated two rows behind a Dutch passenger who later died from hantavirus.

According to Secretary of State for Health Javier Padilla, the exposure appears limited because contact on the flight was brief.

Authorities expect the woman’s test results within 24 to 48 hours.

Padilla also noted that other passengers on the same flight later developed symptoms but tested negative, including a Dutch flight attendant.

WHO confirms multiple confirmed and suspected cases

The World Health Organization said Thursday there are currently five confirmed hantavirus cases and three suspected cases linked to the cruise ship outbreak.

Three people have already died, including a Dutch couple and a German passenger.

Health officials continue tracing passengers who left the ship at various points during its voyage.

New suspected case emerges on remote Atlantic island

British authorities also confirmed Friday that a possible new hantavirus case has emerged on Tristan da Cunha, one of the world’s most isolated inhabited islands.

The island, which has roughly 220 permanent residents, was one of the first scheduled stops for the Hondius in April.

British officials said the suspected patient is an island resident whose spouse is currently isolating.

UK confirms additional British infections

The UK Health Security Agency said two additional British nationals have now tested positive for the virus after being aboard the ship.

Officials stressed that hantavirus is usually transmitted through contact with infected rodents and that person-to-person transmission remains extremely rare.

However, investigators believe the Andes strain identified during the outbreak may spread between humans through very close contact.

Americans aboard ship preparing for repatriation

The United States Department of State confirmed it is arranging a repatriation flight for the remaining American passengers aboard the Hondius.

The operation is being coordinated with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Spanish authorities, and international health agencies.

At least seven Americans who previously left the vessel are reportedly isolating at home across five states without symptoms.

Spain prepares strict quarantine measures

Spanish authorities released detailed quarantine protocols Friday ahead of the ship’s expected arrival in Tenerife this weekend.

Passengers and crew who were aboard the vessel between April 1 and May 10, or who had close contact with confirmed cases, will be quarantined at a military hospital in Madrid.

Officials said passengers will remain isolated in single rooms and undergo repeated PCR testing alongside daily health monitoring.

Anyone developing symptoms such as fever or breathing difficulties will be transferred to high-level isolation units.

WHO says broader public risk remains low

Despite growing international concern, the WHO and national health agencies continue emphasizing that the overall public risk remains low.

Unlike airborne viruses such as COVID-19, hantavirus generally requires very close contact for transmission between humans.

Investigators are still attempting to determine the exact origin of the outbreak, which may be linked to exposure in parts of Argentina where hantavirus is endemic and where the cruise began earlier this year.

Author: Staff Writer | Edited for WTFwire.com | SOURCE: NBC News