Health authorities are monitoring at least five Americans across both coasts for hantavirus symptoms, despite the fact that none were aboard the cruise ship MV Hondius, which is at the center of the outbreak.
The individuals in question include two from New Jersey, two from Maryland, and one from California. They’re currently quarantined and being closely supervised because they had taken an international flight that included passengers from the infected cruise.
As of now, none of these individuals are exhibiting any symptoms, and it remains uncertain whether they have contracted the virus.
The MV Hondius was carrying 17 Americans when a rare strain of hantavirus began to spread among the passengers, resulting in three fatalities and putting many others at risk.
Typically, hantavirus is transmitted through contact with infected rodents or their droppings.
Of the 17 American passengers who were evacuated, one tested positive for the virus. This individual, along with another who showed symptoms, was taken to Emory University for further assessment. The remaining 15 are in isolation at a renowned medical facility in Nebraska.
Health officials have consistently stated that the virus is not a significant public health threat at the moment.
Officials noted that such infections are uncommon and generally require close, prolonged contact with an infected person or their bodily fluids.
Symptoms of hantavirus typically manifest between 4 to 42 days after exposure, but those who are asymptomatic are generally not considered contagious.
The cruise ship, which departed from Argentina on March 20, was in the Atlantic as the infections spread.
The initial case, identified as ornithologist Leo Schilperort, is believed to have contracted the virus while birdwatching at a landfill in Argentina. Unfortunately, he and his wife did not survive the journey.
Passengers began disembarking from the ship between April 22 and April 26, over a week after Schilperort’s death, raising concerns about the potential spread of the virus worldwide.
