WHO investigates possible hantavirus infections on cruise ships
WHO is investigating the possibility of human-to-human transmission of the hantavirus after death and illness aboard the cruise ship docked in Cape Verde.
In at least three states, residents who boarded the luxury cruise ship where the deadly outbreak occurred are being monitored for possible hantavirus infection, according to reports.
The New York Times reported on May 6 that public health agencies in Georgia, Arizona, and California are monitoring residents who were on the MV Hondius cruise and have returned to their homes. None of the people being monitored have shown any signs of illness, the Times said.
The Georgia Department of Public Health said in a statement to USA TODAY on May 6 that it was monitoring two residents.
“They are currently in good health and have no signs of infection. We are following current recommendations from the CDC,” Georgia DPH said in a statement.
The Times and Reuters reported that the Arizona Department of Health Services received a tip about a resident aboard the MV Hondius, a cruise ship operated by Netherlands-based operator Oceanwide Expeditions.
The California Department of Public Health said it received a tip from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that a state resident was also on the boat. Officials have not said how many people are being monitored in California, according to the Times.
Earlier on May 6, the World Health Organization announced that an eighth hantavirus-related case had been confirmed among cruise ship passengers. Three of these cases were confirmed through clinical testing.
The ship, with nearly 150 people on board, left Argentina on April 1 and made several port calls across the Atlantic Ocean. Health authorities said three people have died in the outbreak since the outbreak, including a Dutch couple and a German national. The other three people were evacuated from the ship on May 6.
USA TODAY has reached out to public health departments in Arizona and California for comment.
Hantaviruses are usually spread through contact with the urine, feces, or saliva of infected rodents, but human-to-human transmission is rare.
“Authorities are closely monitoring the situation of the U.S. traveler aboard the M/V Hondius cruise ship where hantavirus was confirmed,” the CDC said in a May 6 statement.
“The risk to the U.S. public is extremely low at this time,” the CDC said in a statement. “We urge all Americans on board to follow the guidance of health officials to get you home safely.”
The ship is expected to dock in Tenerife in Spain’s Canary Islands within three days, Health Minister Monica García said, adding that none of the people still on board were showing any symptoms of infection. García said all non-Spanish nationals will be repatriated after arriving in Tenerife if they are healthy.
García said the 14 Spanish passengers will be quarantined at a military hospital in Madrid. The period of isolation depends on when a person may have come into contact with the virus, he said, adding that the incubation period is 45 days.
Contributors: Melina Khan, Eve Chen, Nathan Diller, USA TODAY. Reuters
