Home / Health / US Passenger Contracts Hantavirus Aboard Ship
US Passenger Contracts Hantavirus Aboard Ship
11 May
Summary
- An American from a cruise ship has tested positive for hantavirus.
- All 17 American passengers are being flown to the U.S. for care.
- The virus, spread by rodents, has led to three deaths so far.
An American passenger who disembarked from the MV Hondius cruise ship has tested positive for hantavirus. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced that all 17 American citizens from the ship are currently en route to the United States via an airlift. Two individuals, including the confirmed case and another with mild symptoms, are being transported in biocontainment units as a precautionary measure.
Upon arrival, passengers will be taken to a specialized treatment center at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. The individual with milder symptoms will then be transferred to a second center at their final destination. Clinical assessments and appropriate care will be provided to each individual based on their condition.
The hantavirus outbreak has raised significant concern, with eight suspected cases and three deaths reported as of Saturday. The incubation period for the virus can range from one to eight weeks. While typically spread by rodents, rare instances of human-to-human transmission have occurred, and the virus is fatal for over a third of those infected.
