Rist told public broadcaster France Inter that the woman was among five French passengers repatriated Sunday from the expedition cruise ship after developing symptoms during the return trip from Spain’s Canary Islands. French health authorities said the patient was placed under medical supervision after arriving in Paris, where officials initiated precautionary isolation measures for individuals considered at elevated risk of exposure.

The vessel had docked in Tenerife in the Canary Islands, where authorities coordinated a multinational evacuation effort involving military and government aircraft. Passengers leaving the ship were escorted by personnel wearing full protective suits and face masks as medical teams monitored travelers for symptoms linked to the virus.

According to information cited by Diplomat News Network from French and international health officials, the evacuation operation continued into Monday as authorities from several countries arranged the return of their nationals under heightened biosecurity procedures. The World Health Organization recommended close monitoring of passengers, and multiple governments imposed quarantine or observation requirements for returning travelers.

Late Sunday, U.S. officials confirmed that one American traveler was among 17 individuals being transported to the state of Nebraska after testing positive for hantavirus without displaying symptoms. Health agencies have not disclosed the precise origin of the exposure aboard the vessel, and investigations remain ongoing.

French authorities said initial containment measures included identifying close contacts and monitoring travelers who may have had prolonged interaction with infected passengers. A spokesperson for France’s Health Ministry stated that the government had activated "early-stage preventive isolation protocols for high-risk individuals” in coordination with regional hospitals and infectious disease specialists.

Medical experts note that hantaviruses are typically transmitted through exposure to infected rodents or contaminated environments, though human-to-human transmission remains rare and limited to certain strains. 

At Tenerife’s port facilities, local residents and travelers described a tightly controlled atmosphere as emergency workers directed passengers through cordoned pathways under cloudy and windy conditions. Security personnel restricted public access near docking areas during the transfer process.

The incident has intensified scrutiny of international cruise health protocols and cross-border disease surveillance systems, particularly as governments seek to strengthen rapid-response coordination following previous global outbreaks involving maritime travel.