Federal health authorities announced Monday they have transported 18 cruise ship passengers back to American soil for quarantine following a hantavirus outbreak aboard their vessel, with one confirmed case now isolated in a specialized medical facility in Nebraska.
Health and Human Services Department officials revealed during a Monday press conference that the passengers are under medical observation at two locations: 16 individuals at the University of Nebraska Medical Center and two in Atlanta. One of the Atlanta patients is currently showing symptoms of the illness.
The affected travelers had been sailing on the MV Hondius, an upscale expedition vessel where an outbreak of the Andes virus occurred. This particular strain represents the sole type of hantavirus known to transmit between humans, though typically the disease spreads through contact with infected wild rodents.
Federal health authorities emphasized that public health risks remain minimal. Admiral Brian Christine, who serves as assistant secretary for health, explained that the Andes virus “does not spread easily” and typically requires extended close interaction with someone displaying symptoms.
The quarantined group spans a wide age range, from individuals in their late twenties to those in their late seventies or early eighties, according to officials. Medical monitoring could continue for as long as 42 days.
Among those returned to the United States were 17 American citizens and one British dual national who elected to receive care in America.
