A US citizen on a repatriation flight from a cruise ship hit by a deadly hantavirus outbreak has tested “mildly” positive for the virus, according to the Department of Health and Human Services.
The American, who was not showing symptoms, was among a group of passengers evacuated from the MV Hondius cruise ship, which docked in Spain’s Canary Islands on Sunday. Two other passengers, including a French citizen, began showing symptoms of the virus during their repatriation flights.
Hantavirus Outbreak
The outbreak has already claimed three lives, including a Dutch couple and a German woman, with at least nine confirmed or suspected cases linked to the ship. The rare Andes strain of the virus, which can be transmitted from person to person, has raised concerns among health officials.
The US citizen who tested positive, along with another passenger showing symptoms, was traveling in a biocontainment unit on the flight “out of an abundance of caution,” according to HHS. The passengers were headed to the University of Nebraska Medical Center, where they will undergo further testing and monitoring.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has sent a team of epidemiologists and medical professionals to the Canary Islands to assess the exposure risk for each American passenger and provide recommendations for monitoring.
Global Response
The evacuation process, supervised by Spain’s health and interior ministers as well as the World Health Organization, has been carried out with caution, with passengers and crew members wearing protective gear and undergoing testing before being taken to their evacuation flights.
The incident highlights the need for continued vigilance and cooperation among global health authorities to prevent the spread of infectious diseases. As the world becomes increasingly interconnected, the risk of outbreaks like this one underscores the importance of robust public health infrastructure and international collaboration.
