U.S. Evacuating Passengers from Cruise Ship Amid Hantavirus Outbreak
The U.S. government has begun plans to evacuate American passengers from the M/V Hondius, a cruise ship linked to a hantavirus outbreak. Those evacuated will be transported to a military base in Nebraska for isolation and monitoring, according to federal health officials announced on Friday.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) stated that the risk to U.S. citizens is currently very low as they coordinate medical repatriation flights for the passengers. President Trump commented earlier that the situation seems to be under control, emphasizing that the virus is not easily spread.
“We have great expertise handling this,” he said. “They know the virus. It’s not like the coronavirus; it doesn’t transmit easily. I’m hopeful that’s accurate.” He reassured that the response to the outbreak has been competent and organized.
The outbreak began in early April when a passenger fell ill and has since resulted in at least three deaths, according to the World Health Organization. Cases have surfaced in various countries after the cruise, prompting a global contact tracing effort.
Health authorities in Cape Verde even restricted passenger disembarkation due to containment concerns. Interestingly, most strains of hantavirus are spread through contact with infected rodents, rather than person-to-person transmission. The Andes virus, associated with some cases on cruise ships, is the only strain known to facilitate limited person-to-person transmission.
Next steps for the remaining passengers and crew are being coordinated as the ship is set to reach Spain’s Canary Islands. A CDC team is headed to the islands to assess the exposure risk for American passengers and evaluate the need for health surveillance.
Evacuated passengers will be taken to Offutt Air Force Base in Omaha, Nebraska, via a U.S. government medical flight. After arrival, they will proceed to the National Quarantine Center at the University of Nebraska Medical Center for comprehensive monitoring.
Moreover, additional CDC personnel will be stationed at the military base to conduct health screenings and ensure public safety as this situation develops.
