Seventeen American passengers evacuated from the MV Hondius are being monitored in the United States after a deadly hantavirus outbreak linked to the vessel sickened many passengers and sparked international health concerns.
US officials confirmed that the Americans disembarked from the ship in Spain on Sunday (May 10) before departing for Offutt Air Force Base. Some passengers are expected to be taken to the National Quarantine Center at the University of Nebraska Medical Center.
Where do the Americans from MV Hondius go for quarantine?
Passengers are evaluated at the federally funded Training, Simulation and Quarantine Center in Nebraska, the only national quarantine unit in the United States.
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Hantavirus is a rare group of diseases caused by rodent-borne viruses. Andes Hantavirus, the strain associated with the MV Hondius outbreak, is unique because it is the only known strain that can spread between humans through close contact.
Seventeen American passengers evacuated from the MV Hondius are being monitored at a federally funded training, simulation and quarantine center at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha.
Officials have not set a firm schedule for the quarantine. Passengers undergo continuous medical monitoring. Those considered low-risk and asymptomatic can be quarantined at home, while others can remain at the Nebraska facility for observation and treatment.
At least six confirmed cases of hantavirus and three deaths have been linked to the outbreak aboard the MV Hondius, according to the World Health Organization. Eight other diseases are under investigation.
The Andean strain of hantavirus can spread between people, but requires close contact and is not airborne like the flu or COVID-19. Transmission is rare and usually occurs in settings such as shared living spaces.
Officials said passengers will undergo a medical examination and interviews conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to determine if they have been exposed to hantavirus.
At the University of Nebraska Medical Center, travelers will be checked for symptoms and interviewed by CDC staff,” Jay Bhattacharya, director of the National Institutes of Health, told CNN.
Nebraska’s quarantine unit monitors cruise ship passengers
Health officials said a quarantine facility in Nebraska will assess the passengers for several days before deciding whether they need longer isolation or are safe to return home.
“Over the next few days, passengers will undergo an initial health screening and receive next-step instructions from CDC experts,” John Knox said during a briefing at the University of Nebraska.
Bhattacharya said travelers who are considered low-risk — those without symptoms and no known close contact — can be quarantined at home instead of staying in Nebraska.
“CDC officials will extend an offer to stay in Nebraska if they want,” he said. “But they will be allowed to return home if they get there without exposing others along the way.
US cruise ship passengers test positive for hantavirus
US health authorities confirmed that one American passenger tested mildly positive for the Andean strain of hantavirus, while another passenger showed mild symptoms and was flown to Atlanta for further testing.
Both individuals are undergoing further evaluation, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
According to international reports, a French passenger also tested positive during the repatriation.
How long will cruise ship passengers be quarantined in Nebraska?
Officials have not announced a firm schedule for the quarantine. Instead, passengers will undergo ongoing medical monitoring and evaluation of symptoms in the coming days.
Those who remain symptom-free and are assessed as low-risk can return home under the supervision of state and local health agencies.
Passengers who develop symptoms or choose to self-quarantine may remain at the Nebraska facility for observation and treatment.
How many were on board the MV Hondius?
Nearly 150 passengers and crew from 23 countries were on board the MV Hondius when the outbreak was first identified earlier this month.
The Netherlands-based expedition cruise, operated by Oceanwide Expeditions, left Argentina in March and toured Antarctica and other remote areas before heading to waters near West Africa.
Spanish officials confirmed that 94 passengers from 19 nationalities were evacuated during the first phase of repatriation operations.
How many cases of hantavirus are related to the ship?
At least six confirmed cases of hantavirus and three deaths have been linked to the outbreak aboard the MV Hondius, according to the World Health Organization.
Eight other diseases are reportedly under investigation in several countries.
Four patients remain hospitalized in South Africa, the Netherlands and Switzerland.
The outbreak was first detected after a British passenger became critically ill in Johannesburg on May 2, weeks after another passenger died.
The ship remains anchored in Tenerife and is expected to sail to Rotterdam with around 30 crew members after the evacuation is complete.
Read also | Hantavirus Explained: How Deadly or Contagious Is It? Should you be worried?
