French health authorities confirmed on Thursday that a Franco-Argentine national tested positive for the Andes strain of hantavirus after visiting France in the second half of July. The patient, who had mild respiratory symptoms at the time of testing, is now asymptomatic and isolated with family in Galicia, Spain. Spanish health officials were notified the same day the positive result was confirmed.

The individual sought medical care in France for a mild flu-like illness and was tested for hantavirus despite not fitting the typical patient profile. The positive result arrived after the person had already travelled to Spain; French officials stated the patient was no longer contagious upon arrival. The tourist’s itinerary within France included Normandy, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, and the Paris region.

The Andes strain is the only hantavirus known to transmit between humans through close and prolonged contact. This case is unrelated to the outbreak on the MV Hondius cruise ship earlier this year, which caused 13 infections and three deaths before the World Health Organization declared it over on 2 July. A French woman from that outbreak was discharged from intensive care on the same day the new case was announced, after nearly three months in hospital.

French and Spanish health authorities are coordinating contact tracing. The patient and family face a six-week isolation period. High-risk contacts will be placed under home quarantine, while low-risk contacts face no restrictions. A French scientific panel convened on Thursday to determine further measures, and Spanish public health services are conducting studies to guide the next steps.