Five US States Monitor Passengers After Hantavirus Outbreak on Cruise Ship

Health officials in five U.S. states are watching passengers who got off a cruise ship before a hantavirus outbreak was known. The virus found on the ship is a rare type that can spread from person to person.

At least 12 countries are now checking people who left the MV Hondius ship. The World Health Organization (WHO) announced this on Thursday. These countries include Canada, Germany, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

In the U.S., Georgia and Texas are each monitoring two former passengers. Virginia and Arizona are watching one passenger each. California is monitoring an unknown number of people. State health departments confirmed this information. All individuals are currently showing no signs of illness.

President Trump stated he has been informed about the hantavirus situation. He expressed hope that it is under control. He mentioned a full report would be released soon, with experts studying the virus.

Arizona health officials were told by the CDC on May 5 that one passenger from the cruise ship was in their state. Local health workers will monitor this person for 42 days after they left the ship. Dr. Joel Terriquez of Northern Arizona Healthcare said the risk to the public is very low. He added it is not certain the passenger was exposed to the virus.

Three people who were on the cruise have died. This includes a couple from the Netherlands and a woman from Germany, according to the WHO. The Dutch husband died on the ship on April 11. His wife later died in South Africa.

Oceanwide Expeditions, the ship's owner, confirmed that 30 guests left the Hondius on Saint Helena island on April 24. They then returned to their home countries. The Dutch woman who died was among this group.

The WHO stated that no tests were done on the Dutch man who died on board. His symptoms were like other breathing illnesses, so hantavirus was not suspected at first. His wife's health worsened on a flight from Saint Helena to Johannesburg on April 25.

She was not allowed to fly home from Johannesburg due to her condition. She died in South Africa the next day. A British man on the ship showed symptoms and was flown to South Africa for care on April 27.

His case was the first confirmed hantavirus case on May 4, according to Oceanwide Expeditions. He is still in the hospital but is getting better, the WHO reported. Tests later confirmed the Dutch woman also had hantavirus.

South African authorities identified the virus strain as the Andes strain. This strain is mainly found in Argentina and Chile. Unlike other hantavirus types, the Andes strain can spread between people. This is through close and long contact, like with family members or caregivers.

Health experts believe a widespread outbreak is unlikely. Dr. Céline Gounder, a medical correspondent, stated the pandemic risk is low. Hantavirus does not spread like the flu or COVID-19. However, this situation tests global health systems.

Two British passengers who returned to the U.K. are also being monitored. The U.K. Health Security Agency said they have no symptoms and are advised to self-isolate. The agency stated the risk to the public remains very low.

Canada is monitoring three people who showed no symptoms. Two left the ship in Saint Helena, and one was on the same flight as the Dutch woman who died. Two are in Ontario, and one is in Quebec.

Another passenger who left the ship in Saint Helena tested positive for the Andes strain in Switzerland. The WHO confirmed this information.

Three people with suspected hantavirus were flown from the ship on Wednesday. They included German and Dutch passengers and a British crew member. The Dutch passenger and British crew member are stable and being treated in the Netherlands. The German passenger had no symptoms and returned to Germany.

Dr. Jay Bhattacharya of the CDC said the agency has been working with international partners since learning about the outbreak. The ship left Cape Verde late Wednesday and is heading to the Canary Islands. Some officials in the Canary Islands do not want the ship to dock there.

The mayor of Granadilla de Abona in Tenerife expressed strong opposition to the ship's arrival. He asked that passengers be transferred to airports near their home countries for quarantine and treatment. He called the decision to bring the ship to the Canary Islands thoughtless.

The president of the Canary Islands announced the ship would be allowed to anchor offshore but not dock. Argentina, where the Andes strain originated, offered its help. Its health ministry offered technical expertise and resources to assist affected health systems.

Argentina's health ministry noted the confirmed strain circulates only in specific regions of southern Chile and Argentina. The ship departed from Argentina on April 1. The country is cooperating with international agencies to contain the outbreak.

No related cases have been reported in Argentina. The cruise ship had departed from Ushuaia, the capital of Tierra del Fuego. No hantavirus cases have ever been reported in that region since 1996.

The Dutch couple who died had traveled in Argentina, Chile, and Uruguay before boarding the ship. They visited areas known to have rats carrying the Andes virus. The WHO is working with Argentine health authorities to trace their movements.