President Donald Trump said he was hopeful that a deadly outbreak of the hantavirus on a cruise ship was under control and indicated that the administration would make a report about the incident.
“It’s very much, we hope, under control,” Trump told reporters Thursday. “It was the ship, and I think we’re going to make a full report about it tomorrow. We have a lot of people. It’s a lot of great people are studying it. It should be fine.”
The president’s comments came during an impromptu visit to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in Washington, DC, where he has ordered a renovation project.
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What is hantavirus and how does it spread on a cruise ship?⌵
Hantavirus is a rare rodent-borne disease. It typically spreads through inhaling airborne particles from rodent droppings. On a cruise ship, close quarters can increase the risk of transmission, and human-to-human spread, while rare, is considered possible.
What happened on the cruise ship Hondius regarding hantavirus?⌵
The cruise ship Hondius experienced a hantavirus outbreak with confirmed and suspected cases among passengers and crew. Three people died, and several others became seriously ill, prompting alerts from health authorities.
How are authorities responding to the hantavirus outbreak on the cruise ship?⌵
Authorities, including the WHO and CDC, are monitoring the situation, investigating transmission, and coordinating responses with international health authorities. Plans were made to safely de-board passengers in the Canary Islands, with quarantine measures for some.
Should Americans be concerned about hantavirus spreading from this cruise ship incident?⌵
President Trump expressed hope that the outbreak was under control and indicated that Americans should not be concerned. The WHO also stated that the global risk of hantavirus infections remains low.
How did the hantavirus outbreak begin on the cruise ship?⌵
It is believed the first infected person likely contracted the virus before boarding the ship. Some passengers had traveled through areas in South America where the Andes strain of hantavirus is found in rodents.
“You’re going to be told everything,” Trump said.
Asked if Americans should be concerned about the virus spreading, Trump said “I hope not,” adding that “we’re doing the best we can.”
A cluster of hantavirus infections linked to a cruise ship in the Atlantic Ocean has left three people dead and several others seriously ill. The incident has prompted an alert from the World Health Organization, raising questions about how a rare rodent-borne disease might spread in that setting.
Authorities are still investigating how the virus was transmitted on board the ship, which was carrying roughly 150 passengers. The ship is now headed to Spain’s Canary Islands.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in a statement said it is “closely monitoring the situation with U.S. travelers onboard” the cruise ship, and that the State Department was leading a coordinated response including engaging with international health authorities.
The incident also comes as the Trump administration faces scrutiny from critics over cuts to public health programs which some advocates say have left programs to combat infectious diseases under-resourced.
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