Hantavirus Outbreak on Cruise Ship Continues as 18 Americans Under Medical Monitoring
American passengers from the hantavirus-stricken MV Hondius cruise ship are being monitored at US medical facilities after being evacuated. Three passengers have died since April 11, and the World Health Organization has indicated the virus may have passed from human to human aboard the ship.
American Passengers Under Observation
Eighteen passengers from the cruise ship at the center of the hantavirus outbreak are back in the US and being monitored at medical units. Sixteen of those people, including one who tested positive, are in Nebraska, and two others are in Atlanta. All in Nebraska are asymptomatic, and one person in Atlanta is experiencing symptoms, health officials said.
Human-to-Human Transmission Concern
The virus, typically tied to rodents, may have passed from human to human aboard the ship, the World Health Organization said. Three passengers have died since April 11 and a handful of others are sick.
Evacuation and Repatriation
The American passengers were among 122 guests and crew evacuated from the MV Hondius cruise ship in recent days and repatriated to their home countries and the Netherlands. The total number of people repatriated to their home countries and the Netherlands is 122 (35 crew, 87 guests), according to Oceanwide.
Quarantine vs. Testing Debate
Some health experts who guided the US through the Covid-19 pandemic are weighing in to say strict quarantine measures and consistent testing are essential. "We really do need to stop following viruses by symptoms and follow viruses by tests," Dr. Deborah Birx, former White House coronavirus response coordinator, told CNN on Monday. "It's only through seeing the virus through actual testing, rather than waiting for symptoms, that you can really understand what's going on."