Seventeen American passengers from the hantavirus-stricken cruise ship M/V Hondius have disembarked in Tenerife, Spain, and are being repatriated to the United States. The group includes one individual who has tested positive for the Andes strain of hantavirus and another displaying mild symptoms.
Disembarkation and Medical Assessment
The vessel docked at the Granadilla port on Sunday, where medical teams from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) awaited. They interviewed passengers about their potential exposure to the virus. The identities of the passengers have not been publicly disclosed, and those who have not tested positive are being assessed for risk levels.
Repatriation Flight to Nebraska
The passengers are scheduled to arrive in Nebraska via a specially chartered flight. Nebraska is home to the national quarantine unit and the Nebraska Biocontainment Unit. The US Health and Human Services Department (HHS) confirmed that the two affected passengers are traveling in the plane's biocontainment units.
The US State Department's airlift will transport passengers to the ASPR Regional Emerging Special Pathogen Treatment Center (RESPTC) at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha. The passenger with mild symptoms will be taken to a second RESPTC.
CDC Assessment and Monitoring
Acting CDC Director Jay Bhattacharya stated that passengers will be interviewed and assessed for risk. Those deemed low risk may choose to stay in Nebraska or return home under the supervision of local health agencies. Medium- or high-risk individuals will be offered alternatives, including staying in Nebraska if their home situation does not allow safe travel.
Bhattacharya emphasized that this situation is not comparable to the Covid-19 pandemic and urged against public panic. He noted that hantavirus protocols have been successful in containing past outbreaks.
WHO Recommendations
World Health Organization head Tedros Ghebreyesus recommended a 42-day quarantine with active follow-up, either in a facility or at home. However, the CDC has not mandated quarantine, stating that testing asymptomatic individuals is not recommended.
