The measure applies to persons who were in contact with passengers from the expedition cruise ship MV Hondius, on which a French woman, according to the media, was seriously ill with hantavirus.
At the same time, the authorities emphasized that there is no evidence of local spread of the virus in France.
Contact persons were identified after a flight between St Helena and Johannesburg, on which a person with confirmed hantavirus was traveling.
Five people were admitted to the Pitie Salpetriere hospital on Tuesday evening, while one hospitalized patient from Rennes should be transferred to Paris along with two other contacts.
Health Minister Stephanie Rist tried to calm the public by saying that there are no signs of the virus spreading in the country.
A French official told Lecornu:
“Our health response is clear – for all contact cases, without exception, enhanced quarantine in a hospital environment.”
Hantavirus is a rare disease that is mostly transmitted through infected rodents or their feces, but the strain responsible for this outbreak, Andes virus, can also be transmitted between humans.
According to data from the World Health Organization, 11 cases of infection and three deaths have been confirmed so far.
A French citizen who was evacuated from a ship in Spain on Sunday later tested positive for the disease and was placed in intensive care in a stable condition.
The World Health Organization recommends 42 days of monitoring and quarantine, either at home or in a health facility.
(Vijesti.ba)
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