OMAHA, Nebraska — The American passengers from a cruise ship at the center of a hantavirus outbreak have arrived in Nebraska for quarantine in a highly specialized unit. Seventeen U.S. citizens and one British national who lives in the U.S. were evacuated from the MV Hondius, which docked in the Canary Islands on Sunday.
Sixteen arrived early Monday morning at Eppley Airfield in Omaha.
They were taken to Nebraska Medicine, where they’ll be watched at the national quarantine unit — the only federally funded unit of its kind in the country.
In an update Monday morning, officials said one American patient is in a biocontainment unit after testing positive. The other 15 are in a quarantine unit, but are not showing symptoms.
If anyone else develops hantavirus symptoms while there, they can be moved immediately to the biocontainment unit in the same building for treatment.
Also in their update Monday, officials said two patients were taken to Atlanta for “further assessment and care,” including at least one individual who is experiencing symptoms. The couple is in a biocontainment unit.
Previous updates
A French passenger from that same cruise ship has also tested positive.
Health officials say the virus is usually linked to rodents, but in this case, the World Health Organization believes it likely spread person to person on board the ship.
Since the outbreak started in mid-April, three people from the ship have died and several others have been infected.
Another cruise ship outbreak
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is also monitoring a norovirus outbreak on board a Princess Cruises ship that departed Fort Lauderdale on April 28.
According to the CDC’s report 102 passengers and 13 crew members were reported ill on May 7. The main symptoms shared have included diarrhea and vomiting.
The norovirus is fairly common and is different from the hantavirus, which is rare and much more dangerous.
The ship, the Caribbean Princess, is set to dock in Port Canaveral in Orlando on Monday.
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