Hantavirus Cruise Ship Outbreak Reaches 11 Cases as U.S. Passengers Arrive in Nebraska and Atlanta

The number of confirmed and probable hantavirus cases linked to the MV Hondius cruise ship has risen to 11, including two confirmed deaths and one suspected death, as American passengers from the vessel began arriving in the United States for monitoring and treatment in Omaha and Atlanta.

The Details

Sixteen American passengers from the MV Hondius arrived on Monday at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, according to ABC News. Fifteen of them were placed in the quarantine unit, and one person who tested positive was placed in the biocontainment unit. Nebraska outlets reported that UNMC and Nebraska Medicine were asked by federal officials to receive and monitor the passengers at the National Quarantine Unit in Omaha. Nebraska Medicine Chief Executive Officer Michael Ash said in a statement, "We are prepared for situations exactly like this." There had been earlier reports indicating 17 Americans were expected at the facility, but the ABC News arrival reporting referenced 16.

Context

The outbreak is linked to the MV Hondius, which had been anchored off Tenerife in Spain's Canary Islands during passenger evacuations. After passengers and crew from 23 countries were evacuated, the ship sailed from Tenerife with about 30 crew members and two health workers still aboard, according to Spanish and World Health Organization officials cited by ABC News. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says hantaviruses are a family of viruses that can cause serious illness and death, and that person-to-person spread is rare and mainly associated with one South American subtype. Two American passengers were flown to Atlanta for additional assessment and care. Atlanta public media outlet WABE reported that the two passengers were transported to Emory University Hospital's serious communicable diseases unit after the CDC notified Georgia health officials. Georgia Governor Brian Kemp said the state would "do the right thing" and get the patients "back and get them in the right environment that doesn't put our fellow Georgians in jeopardy." In Europe, eight additional French nationals who had shared a flight with a sick person 15 days earlier were placed in isolation at a hospital in France and had shown no symptoms, according to French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu. Reuters reported on May 10 that one of five French passengers repatriated from the ship had symptoms and was placed in strict isolation at Bichat hospital in Paris. A Spanish passenger isolated at Gomez Ulla Hospital in Madrid tested provisionally positive, bringing the probable total case count to 11, according to Spanish Health Minister Monica Garcia. Garcia said, "The other 13 passengers have tested provisionally negative. In the coming hours, we will know the definitive results."

What's Next

Spain and the United States are awaiting the definitive results of tests for passengers who had provisionally negative or provisionally positive results. Health authorities in multiple countries are maintaining isolation measures for repatriated nationals while monitoring for symptoms as the incubation period progresses. The remaining crew and health workers aboard the MV Hondius after its departure from the Canary Islands will continue to be monitored as the ship moves away from the anchorage area, under public health direction.