The Guardian Retracts Article on French Woman’s Hantavirus Case

London — An article published by The Guardian on May 12 regarding a French woman aboard the MV Hondius has been retracted, following a misinterpretation of a key quote from a Spanish health official.

The original report detailed the evacuation of the woman after she tested positive for hantavirus. According to the article, the passenger had informed onboard doctors of her symptoms but was told that her condition was likely due to stress or anxiety.

“The quote referred to a separate, unconfirmed case, not the French woman.”

Later that same day, the article was removed from the publication’s website. In its place, a correction notice was posted, explaining the error:

The mistake stemmed from a misattributed comment by Spanish Health Secretary Javier Padilla Bernáldez. The quote originally included in the article did not pertain to the French woman or the Hondius case, but rather to an unrelated, unconfirmed incident.

The Guardian has not yet indicated whether a corrected version of the article will be republished.