US Initiates Quarantine Measures for Cruise Passengers After Hantavirus Outbreak

(MENAFN) US health authorities are stepping up containment efforts following a hantavirus outbreak linked to the cruise ship MV Hondius, with American passengers set to undergo quarantine upon their return, according to reports.

The vessel is expected to arrive in Tenerife in Spain’s Canary Islands, where personnel from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have been deployed to assist 17 American citizens onboard.

According to reporting, the US State Department is organizing a repatriation flight for the affected passengers, who will later be transferred to a specialized quarantine facility in Omaha, Nebraska for medical monitoring.

The ship, carrying roughly 150 passengers and crew from multiple countries, had departed from Argentina and was traveling across the Atlantic when a cluster of respiratory illnesses was reported near West Africa.

Health authorities have classified the situation as a moderate emergency response level, while international health agencies are monitoring the outbreak closely.

The outbreak has been linked to a rare strain of hantavirus, which is noted for its potential for human-to-human transmission in close-contact environments. Reported cases include multiple infections and several fatalities.

Officials said passengers exposed on the ship will be monitored for several weeks due to the virus’s incubation period, while additional contact tracing is underway for travelers who left the vessel prior to confirmation of the outbreak.

Public health agencies in multiple countries are also tracking individuals who may have been exposed during earlier stages of the voyage as investigations continue.

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