The French Health Ministry issued a statement Thursday confirming that a French national has been tested for hantavirus after they displayed mild symptoms.

The unidentified person had been in contact with a confirmed hantavirus case who flew from Saint Helena to Johannesburg, according to the statement.

Eight other French nationals who were not passengers aboard the MV Hondius have been identified as contacts of a confirmed case after the infected person left the ship during a flight between Saint Helena and Johannesburg, according to the French Health ministry.

“Following the appearance of mild symptoms in one of these individuals, diagnostic testing is underway and isolation measures have been implemented,” the statement said.

The news brings the number of hantavirus cases associated with the MV Hondius to six confirmed and six suspected.

-ABC News’ Zoe Magee