CDC Sends Staff for Hantavirus Cruise Evacuation
Spanish officials are gearing up to evacuate the M/V Hondius cruise ship, which has been hit by a hantavirus outbreak. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is dispatching personnel to the Canary Islands to assist American passengers traveling on a chartered flight to be quarantined in Nebraska.
The ship is set to dock at Granadilla, Tenerife, in the early hours of Sunday. According to Oceanwide Expeditions, the Dutch company operating the vessel, all guests and some crew will disembark there. They also noted that there are currently no symptomatic individuals remaining on board.
“The atmosphere on board continues to remain positive,” stated Oceanwide Expeditions, despite the unfortunate deaths of three individuals since the outbreak began.
Two Spanish passengers shared with the Associated Press, on the condition of anonymity, that life on the ship has been relatively calm. Some guests have enjoyed bird-watching, while others have congregated in common areas, observing social distancing and wearing masks as they read or participate in discussions.
The CDC has announced that it will send teams of epidemiologists and medical professionals to evaluate the exposure risks for each American passenger. They plan to work in concert with global health officials to repatriate the 147 passengers and 60 crew members, including 17 Americans, to a total of 24 different countries.
“The U.S. government’s top priority is the safe repatriation of American passengers,” the CDC emphasized. They will be evacuated via a U.S. government medical flight to Offutt Air Force Base in Omaha, Nebraska, and will then be taken to the National Quarantine Center at the University of Nebraska in Omaha.
Nebraska hosts both the federally-supported National Quarantine Unit and the Nebraska Biocontainment Unit to help prevent any potential spread of the virus within the U.S.
“Nebraska Medicine and UNMC (University of Nebraska Medical Center) remain in close coordination with national partners regarding the evolving situation with the hantavirus outbreak on the MV Hondius cruise ship,” stated Nebraska Medicine. “We cannot discuss specific communications at this time, but our specialized teams are ready to provide care when needed while ensuring the safety of our staff and the community.”
Hantavirus is typically transmitted through contact with rodent droppings, urine, or saliva. Although it’s considered rare, it can be fatal if left untreated. There are speculations that the outbreak on the ship may involve the Andes strain, the only known variant that can spread between humans.
However, both the CDC and the World Health Organization (WHO) assert that the overall risk to the public, including those in the U.S., remains low.
“The risk remains absolutely low,” said WHO spokesman Christian Lindmeier. “This is not a new COVID.”
