OMAHA, Neb. — Federal health authorities announced Tuesday that they have placed two passengers from a hantavirus-affected cruise ship under mandatory quarantine at a Nebraska medical facility.
The quarantine directives were authorized by Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, the acting director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, according to a CDC statement.
These two individuals are part of a group of 18 cruise ship passengers currently under medical evaluation in a specialized unit at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha. The remaining 16 passengers have been requested to remain at the medical facility until May 31, the CDC reported.
A quarantine involves isolating and limiting the movement of individuals who have been exposed to an infectious illness to monitor whether they develop symptoms. This measure is rarely used, and the CDC’s statement did not explain why only 2 of the 18 passengers received mandatory quarantine orders.
Last Wednesday, the World Health Organization reported that 11 hantavirus infections connected to the cruise ship have been documented, with three fatalities. Laboratory testing has verified eight of these cases.
Hantaviruses typically transmit when individuals breathe in contaminated particles from rodent waste. However, the specific strain responsible for this outbreak, known as the Andes virus, has the potential for person-to-person transmission in uncommon circumstances. Public health authorities state that the general public faces minimal risk from this cruise ship outbreak.
