French Hantavirus Patient on Artificial Lung After Cruise Outbreak
A French woman infected with hantavirus during an outbreak on the MV Hondius cruise ship is critically ill and has been placed on an artificial lung at Bichat Hospital in Paris. The outbreak has reached 11 total reported cases, nine confirmed, with three deaths including a Dutch couple believed to be the first exposed in South America. Infectious disease specialist Xavier Lescure described the life-support device as the final stage of supportive care, pumping blood through an artificial lung to relieve pressure on the heart and lungs.
Key facts
- French woman critically ill with hantavirus on artificial lung
- Outbreak on MV Hondius cruise ship: 11 cases, 9 confirmed
- Three deaths: Dutch couple and one other
- Dutch couple believed first exposed in South America
- Patient treated at Bichat Hospital in Paris
- Doctor Xavier Lescure: device is final stage of supportive care
- Device pumps blood through artificial lung to oxygenate
- Goal is to relieve heart and lung pressure for recovery
Entities
Institutions
- Bichat Hospital
Locations
- Paris
- France
- South America
- Netherlands