WASHINGTON: (Web Desk) – One of the 17 American passengers being repatriated from the virus-hit MV Hondius has tested mildly positive for Hantavirus, according to the US Department of Health and Human Services.
Health officials said one passenger is experiencing mild symptoms, while another tested weakly positive for the Andes virus strain through PCR testing. As a precaution, both individuals are travelling in specialized biocontainment units during the evacuation process.
The passengers are being transported from the Canary Islands, where the cruise ship had docked, to a specialized medical facility in Nebraska. Officials confirmed that the symptomatic passenger will receive treatment at a separate healthcare center.
Upon arrival in the United States, all evacuated passengers will undergo medical evaluations and monitoring to determine whether further care or isolation measures are required.
The outbreak aboard the MV Hondius has already resulted in the deaths of three passengers, while several others reportedly became ill with the rare virus, which is commonly spread through contact with infected rodents.
Trump Rejects Iran Terms Amid Rising Regional Tensions
Jay Bhattacharya, acting director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said the returning Americans would not automatically face mandatory quarantine. He stressed that health officials would first assess their level of exposure and symptoms before deciding on further precautions.
The biocontainment unit at the University of Nebraska Medical Center was activated ahead of the group’s expected arrival in Omaha early Monday morning.
Officials said one passenger who tested positive without symptoms will be transferred directly to the Nebraska Biocontainment Unit, while the remaining passengers will stay at the National Quarantine Unit for health assessments and observation.
Bhattacharya explained that depending on the level of risk, passengers may either remain in Nebraska temporarily or safely return to their homes while remaining under medical supervision for several weeks.
According to the CDC, individuals infected with hantavirus are generally considered contagious only after symptoms begin appearing. Bhattacharya noted that similar containment procedures were successfully used during a 2018 outbreak involving the same strain of the virus.
Responding to comparisons with the COVID-19 pandemic, the CDC official urged the public not to panic, emphasizing that the current hantavirus situation does not pose the same level of threat.
Comments are closed, but trackbacks and pingbacks are open.