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Deadly Hantavirus Outbreak on Ship: US Passengers Monitored
9 May
Summary
- American passengers from a hantavirus-infected ship are quarantined.
- Five cases, including three deaths, are linked to the outbreak.
- The ship is expected to dock in Spain's Canary Islands soon.
Federal health officials announced that American passengers from the cruise ship MV Hondius, associated with a hantavirus outbreak, will be transported to Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska for quarantine and monitoring. This measure follows the identification of five hantavirus cases, three of which have been fatal, with three additional suspected cases reported by the World Health Organization (WHO).
The ship, which had around 150 passengers and crew from 28 countries, is anticipated to arrive in Spain's Canary Islands on May 10. International teams, including a deployed CDC team, are assessing potential exposure and monitoring needs among American passengers. The Andes strain of hantavirus, capable of human-to-human transmission, is involved.
The CDC has designated this situation as a Level 3 emergency response, its lowest classification. Health agencies in five U.S. states are monitoring individuals who were on the ship. The WHO is also coordinating with officials in numerous countries regarding their citizens who were aboard.
