PARIS, May 11 (Xinhua) -- A French woman who traveled aboard the hantavirus-hit cruise ship MV Hondius tested positive for the Andes hantavirus during her return to France, French Health Minister Stephanie Rist said Monday.
The woman was among five French nationals evacuated from the cruise ship and repatriated to France on Sunday, developing symptoms during the repatriation flight.
The woman's condition worsened overnight and she was transferred to a specialized infectious disease hospital for treatment, Rist said.
The minister also announced that 22 close contacts of hantavirus cases had been identified in France and ordered to isolate. ■