Federal health officials ordered two cruise passengers into mandatory quarantine and asked 16 others to remain under monitoring in Nebraska after a hantavirus outbreak aboard an Antarctic expedition ship infected multiple travelers.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed Tuesday that two passengers from a cruise ship linked to a hantavirus outbreak have been placed under mandatory quarantine following exposure during an expedition voyage that departed Argentina earlier this spring.
According to the CDC, Acting Director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya signed quarantine orders for two of the 18 American passengers transported from the MV Hondius cruise ship to a specialized medical facility at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha.
Federal officials also requested that the remaining 16 travelers stay in Nebraska through May 31, marking 21 days from their potential exposure to the virus. Two passengers previously housed at a facility in Georgia were later transferred to Nebraska for continued monitoring, according to a CDC spokeswoman.
“A decision was made across the usual leadership in the U.S. government to have the passengers stay in Nebraska until May 31,” CDC response manager Dr. David Fitter told reporters Tuesday.
Health officials said the strain of hantavirus connected to the outbreak has not been identified in the United States.
The CDC described quarantine as a standard public health tool used at federal, state, and local levels when necessary to prevent potential disease spread.
“CDC will continue to coordinate with state and local health authorities as we work together to come up with the best solutions to protect the health and safety of these passengers,” the agency said in a statement.
The outbreak occurred aboard the MV Hondius, an expedition cruise vessel that departed from Argentina on April 1 for a voyage near Antarctica. Following confirmation of the outbreak, all passengers disembarked and the ship returned to the Netherlands for disinfection procedures.
Some American passengers had already left the vessel before the hantavirus cases were confirmed and have since been quarantining in their home states under public health guidance.
According to the World Health Organization, 10 cases associated with the ship have been identified, including eight confirmed through laboratory testing. No secondary transmission cases have been reported.
“While additional cases may still occur among passengers and crew members exposed before containment measures were implemented, the risk of onward transmission is expected to be reduced following disembarkation and the implementation of control measures, including rapid identification and isolation of suspected cases,” the WHO said in a May 15 briefing.
Hantavirus is a rare but potentially serious disease typically spread through contact with infected rodents or exposure to contaminated droppings, urine, or saliva. Symptoms can include fever, fatigue, muscle aches, and respiratory complications.
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