The United States government is taking steps to evacuate passengers from a cruise ship associated with a lethal outbreak. Plans are in place to transport these people to a military facility in Nebraska for quarantine and monitoring, as per federal health officials on Friday.
The outbreak, which began on the MV Hondius, has been associated with a minimum of three fatalities and multiple reported cases as of May 8, based on reports referencing the World Health Organization.
Earlier on Friday, President stated that the situation seems to be under control, highlighting the difficulty of transmitting the virus.
“We have very good people looking at it. It seems to be okay. They know the virus very well. They’ve worked with it for a long time. They know it very well. Not easy to pass on. So we hope that’s true,” the said.
“We seem to have things under very good control. They know that virus very well. It’s been around a long time. Not easily transferable, unlike COVID. But we’ll see. We have very good people studying it very closely,” he added.
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Hantavirus outbreak: Here’s what CDC has stated about risk to Americans
- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention () said that the risk to the American public continues to be “extremely low” while officials proceed with a medical repatriation flight for passengers on the M/V Hondius. “The US government’s top priority is the safe repatriation of American passengers.”
- The American passengers of the cruise are scheduled to be evacuated via a US government medical repatriation flight to Offutt Air Force Base in Omaha, Nebraska, from where they will be taken to the National Quarantine Center at the University of Nebraska, Omaha.
- According to CDC, the agency formulated health recommendations for affected American travelers, which were communicated by the US Department of State.
- Additionally, the CDC said that it dispatched a group of epidemiologists and healthcare experts to the Canary Islands, where the M/V Hondius is anticipated to arrive.
- “The team will conduct an exposure risk assessment for each American passenger and provide recommendations for the level of monitoring required. An additional CDC team will deploy to Offutt AFB to support public health assessment of returning passengers,” the agency mentioned.
The outbreak has intensified over the course of several weeks, starting with a passenger who fell ill in early April, ultimately leading to a minimum of three fatalities, as per the World Health Organization (WHO).
Currently, cases are being reported in various countries following the disembarkation of passengers in Africa and Europe, which has led health officials to trace contacts on a global scale.
At one point, authorities in Cape Verde prevented passengers from leaving the ship, highlighting the concerns regarding containment measures.
According to the CDC, Hantavirus is a rare yet potentially lethal disease that is usually transmitted through contact with infected rodents or their excrement.
