Singapore couple test negative for hantavirus after cruise ship outbreak

Among the 1,300 passengers evacuated from the cruise ship that had been stranded off Cape Verde and later docked at Las Palmas in the Canary Islands were two Singaporean couples. The first pair, who returned to Singapore on a Frankfurt connection, were tested at Tan Tock Seng Hospital.

The World Health Organization has reiterated concerns over apparent on-board transmission of the Andes hantavirus strain. The current evidence raises the possibility, still under study, of human-to-human transmission.

Singapore Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said 'our current risk remains low' and asked international travellers to share symptoms with their doctors. Authorities in the Canaries said full clearance of the ship's passengers may take another 10 days.