France, Netherlands say all hantavirus contact cases negative

France and the Netherlands have reported that all individuals identified as close contacts of hantavirus cases linked to the MV Hondius cruise ship have tested negative for the illness. French health officials confirmed on Thursday that 26 close contacts in France showed no signs of infection. Similarly, Dutch authorities stated that all passengers who arrived in the Netherlands via evacuation flights from the ship this week have also tested negative. Twenty-six individuals remain in hospital isolation in France, including 22 identified as close contacts of a Dutch woman who was at the center of an international alert for the rare disease, which is typically transmitted by rodents.