Granadilla de Abona, Spain – An American citizen and a French woman evacuated from the cruise ship hit by a deadly hantavirus outbreak have tested positive, officials said, as the repatriation operation continued on Monday.

Following the positive test results, Spain defended the rigor of its sanitary measures during the Sunday evacuation of 94 people of 19 different nationalities from the MV Hondius, which is moored in the Canary Islands.

The Dutch-flagged vessel has been at the center of global concern after three passengers died following an outbreak of the rare virus, which usually spreads among rodents and for which no cure exists.

Health officials have insisted that the risk to global public health is minimal and dismissed comparisons to the Covid-19 pandemic.

One of five evacuees from France was placed in isolation in Paris after starting to feel unwell on Sunday night, and "tests came back positive," Health Minister Stephanie Rist said Monday.

Late Sunday, the US health department said one American national evacuated from the ship had "mild symptoms" and that another had tested positive for the Andes virus, the only hantavirus strain that is transmissible between humans.

Spain's health ministry said "all measures" had been taken to stop the virus spreading during the evacuations. Medical teams escorted passengers from the ship to an airport on the island of Tenerife under close supervision.

Dogs Injured dog's pleading eyes break the hearts of rescuers – can they save her?

Per the statement, the French patient "started to feel unwell during the flight and not while she was on the ship."

The ministry also said the US citizen who tested positive "did not show symptoms when they were in Cape Verde," where the MV Hondius stopped before reaching the Canary Islands.

"However, the US authorities have decided to treat the case as positive. For that reason, they requested a separate evacuation, which was carried out in a separate boat."

To date, eight hantavirus cases have been confirmed, and two more are listed as "probable," per the World Health Organization.

Other suspected cases and potential close contacts with infected people are being investigated. In several countries, health authorities are tracking passengers who had disembarked from the ship, and anyone who may have come into contact with them.

The French Health Minister said 22 more close contacts had been identified, including eight people who had travelled on an April 25 flight between Saint Helena and Johannesburg, and 14 more on a flight between Johannesburg and Amsterdam.

Health US citizen tests positive for the hantavirus as Spain says it took "all measures" to stop the spread

The Dutch woman passenger, who died of hantavirus, was on the flight to Johannesburg and later briefly boarded a flight to Amsterdam, but was removed before take-off.

Two more repatriation flights are planned on Monday to complete the evacuation. After refuelling, the ship is scheduled to leave Tenerife for the Netherlands at 7:00 PM with a skeleton crew.

The World Health Organization believes the first infection occurred before the start of the voyage, followed by transmission between humans on board the vessel.

Argentine health officials have questioned whether the outbreak originated in Ushuaia, based on the virus's weeks-long incubation period and other factors.