US Passenger Tests Positive for Hantavirus on Repatriation Flight
An American national aboard a repatriation flight has tested positive for hantavirus, while another passenger exhibits mild symptoms, following their departure from a cruise ship affected by a deadly outbreak of the virus, according to the US Department of Health and Human Services.
Both individuals are being transported in "biocontainment units out of an abundance of caution," the department's statement noted.
Upon arrival, all 17 US citizens on the government-chartered flight will undergo further medical screening at a facility in Nebraska.
These passengers are part of a group exceeding 90 individuals from the MV Hondius cruise ship, currently docked in Spain's Canary Islands, who are being repatriated. Officials have stated that the risk of a widespread outbreak remains very low.
Three passengers—a Dutch couple and a German woman—have died after traveling on the vessel, with two confirmed to have contracted the virus.
Hantavirus Transmission and Symptoms
Hantaviruses are typically carried by rodents; however, human-to-human transmission of the Andes strain is possible. The World Health Organization (WHO) believes some Dutch passengers contracted this strain while in South America.
Symptoms of hantavirus infection can include fever, extreme fatigue, muscle aches, stomach pain, vomiting, diarrhea, and shortness of breath.
US Health Measures and Monitoring
In an early Monday statement, the US Department of Health and Human Services indicated that upon arrival, all passengers "will undergo clinical assessment" at the University of Nebraska Medical Center.
Seven other US passengers have already returned and are currently being monitored in their respective home states.
A British national residing in the US was also being evacuated alongside the 17 American passengers.
WHO Guidance and US Response
Meanwhile, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus cautioned that the US decision not to follow WHO guidelines regarding the hantavirus outbreak "may have risks."
"The WHO has recommended 42 days of isolation for those leaving the MV Hondius."
However, Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, acting head of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), emphasized that human-to-human transmission is rare and expressed a desire to avoid public panic, stating that the virus should not be treated like Covid-19.
International Repatriation and Cases
Passengers from the cruise ship were seen disembarking on Sunday at the port of Grandilla de Abona in Tenerife, wearing blue gowns, bouffant caps, and medical face masks.
French Health Minister Stéphanie Rist reported that a French woman who had returned to France tested positive for the virus. The woman is isolating in Paris, and her health is deteriorating.
The infected French passenger was among five French nationals aboard the vessel. French authorities have traced 22 contact cases so far.
On Sunday, a plane carrying 20 British nationals arrived in the United Kingdom. The passengers landed at Manchester Airport on a chartered flight from Tenerife and were transported to Arrowe Park Hospital in Wirral, Merseyside, to undergo a 72-hour isolation period. None have reported symptoms.
Two other British nationals with confirmed hantavirus cases are currently receiving treatment in the Netherlands and South Africa.
In Spain, 14 Spanish nationals flown to Madrid are now under mandatory quarantine at a military hospital. Two additional evacuation flights are scheduled for Monday afternoon.
A separate flight carrying 26 passengers and crew, including eight Dutch nationals, arrived in the Netherlands on Sunday.
Six passengers are returning to Australia, and another 18 will be flown to the Netherlands. Both aircraft are also transporting passengers from other countries that did not arrange their own repatriation flights.
