Hantavirus, italiani in quarantena. Campioni inviati allo Spallanzani per analisi. LIVE – Sky TG24

Italian health authorities are monitoring several potential cases of hantavirus, including a 25-year-old sailor from Calabria whose biological samples have been sent to the Spallanzani institute in Rome for analysis. The measures follow a series of suspected infections linked to a cruise ship outbreak and international travel.

The Calabrian sailor is currently in quarantine after having been on the same flight as a woman who died from hantavirus in Johannesburg. While biological samples are being analyzed to verify the presence of the virus, Giusy Caminiti, the mayor of Villa San Giovanni, stated on May 12, 2026, that the young man is currently asymptomatic and is spending his isolation period at his own home.

In a separate development, a South African patient who was placed in isolation in Padua has tested negative for the virus.

The Italian Ministry of Health has raised the alert level as a precautionary measure. However, the ministry emphasized that the current situation remains one of absolute tranquility.

The current health concerns are partly tied to an outbreak that occurred on the cruise ship Hondius. Following the evacuation of the final passengers, the vessel is traveling toward Rotterdam, where it will undergo decontamination.

The outbreak on the Hondius has resulted in critical illness for at least one passenger. Stephanie Rist, the French Minister of Health, reported that a French woman who contracted hantavirus on the ship is in grave conditions and is currently receiving care in an intensive care unit.

The impact of the outbreak extends across several countries. According to data from the World Health Organization (WHO), there are currently 11 suspected cases and 9 confirmed cases of hantavirus. In France, 22 suspected cases have been identified, while six individuals are being monitored in Australia.

Despite these cases, the World Health Organization has indicated that the broader threat remains limited. Tedros Adhanom, the Director-General of the WHO, stated that the organization’s assessment is that the risk for the health global is low.

Hantaviruses are a group of viruses that can cause severe respiratory or renal diseases. While most infections occur through contact with rodents, health officials continue to monitor the specific circumstances of the Hondius outbreak and subsequent travel-related exposures to determine the nature of the spread.