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The Gómez Ulla receives 14 Spaniards isolated after a hantavirus outbreak
Madrid has activated a large-scale health operation following the arrival of 14 Spaniards from the MV Hondius cruise ship, where a hantavirus outbreak was detected. The passengers—thirteen travellers and one crew member—were transferred on Monday to the Hospital Central de la Defensa Gómez Ulla under strict security and isolation measures, in an operation that disrupted the usual environment of the hospital and drew the attention of neighbours and onlookers in Carabanchel.
The convoy departed from the military base at Torrejón de Ardoz and travelled the 34 kilometres to the hospital, escorted by Policía Nacional and motorcycle officers. On arrival, the passengers went directly to the isolation ward via a closed circuit designed to prevent any contact with other patients or staff not involved in the operation.
Inside the Gómez Ulla, routines have also changed. The travellers will remain in individual rooms, with no visitors and under constant medical supervision for the duration of the quarantine. The protocol includes PCR tests, daily temperature checks, and specific monitoring for possible symptoms such as fever, vomiting, or respiratory difficulties.
If any patient develops symptoms compatible with the virus, they will be transferred to negative pressure isolation areas, one of the most specialised systems for controlling infectious diseases. The hospital also has a Unidad de Aislamiento y Tratamiento de Alto Nivel (High-Level Isolation and Treatment Unit) prepared for these exceptional situations.
The operation has required reinforced coordination between different public services. Policía Nacional, Guardia Civil, Fuerzas Armadas, Protección Civil y Sanidad Exterior have all participated in a deployment that is unusual even for Madrid, a city accustomed to managing large-scale emergency and security operations.
The hospital has emphasised the need for calm. Specialised healthcare staff are working with protocols already tested in other health crises and remind that the travellers are contacts under observation, not seriously ill patients. The monitoring is precisely to detect any possible case before complications arise.
The health monitoring is not only a preventive measure. Hantavirus is a rare but potentially very serious infection, capable of causing severe respiratory failure and with mortality rates that can exceed 35% in some cases. Although authorities stress that the risk to the general population remains low, the rapid activation of isolation protocols aims to prevent any possible chain of transmission and contain a virus that, in certain variants such as the one detected in this outbreak, can be transmitted between people in close contact.
UPD: The situation has changed since the start of the quarantine. The first Spanish person to test positive for hantavirus has already been discharged after recovering from the illness and testing negative in the tests required by the protocol. In contrast, the second confirmed case, detected during the monitoring of the MV Hondius travellers, remains in the Unidad de Aislamiento y Tratamiento de Alto Nivel del Gómez Ulla after developing a mild fever. The rest of the passengers remain under observation, symptom-free and with negative test results, awaiting further checks that could allow them to continue isolation at home if no new positives appear.