The United States is sending a charter aircraft to evacuate remaining American passengers from the MV Hondius cruise ship following a hantavirus outbreak that has killed three people and infected several others, according to multiple reports. The luxury cruise, operated by Oceanwide Expeditions, departed from Ushuaia, Argentina on April 1st and is expected to arrive in Spain's Canary Islands on May 10th.
Key Takeaways
The US is evacuating 17 Americans from a hantavirus-stricken cruise ship, which has killed three people and infected others. Passengers will be quarantined at Nebraska's biocontainment unit.
- CDC sends charter flight to bring home Americans from MV Hondius cruise ship
- Hantavirus outbreak classified as 'Level 3' emergency response by CDC
- 17 Americans on board, with six US states monitoring potential cases
- Passengers to quarantine at Nebraska's biocontainment unit after arrival
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has classified the outbreak as a 'Level 3' emergency response. At least six US states are monitoring potential cases after several passengers returned home. The World Health Organization (WHO) has stated that this strain of hantavirus is unlikely to become a pandemic like Covid-19, as it spreads through close contact rather than easily in the air.
The CDC is sending staff to the Canary Islands to escort American passengers back to the US. Another team will travel to Nebraska, where passengers are expected to quarantine at the University of Nebraska Medical Center's biocontainment unit. Michael Wadman, medical director of the National Quarantine Unit, said that each individual will have their own room and that they are preparing for 17 to 19 Americans to arrive.
Spanish officials announced that the disembarkation process will occur in groups of five, with passengers being taken directly from small boats to buses and then to their nation's plane. The WHO is working to provide health checks for everyone on board and assess each person's level of exposure. None of the 147 people on board were experiencing symptoms as of Friday.
The outbreak has raised concerns about the US withdrawal from the WHO, with some experts warning that it could hinder the response to the outbreak. The CDC did not respond to a BBC question about whether it had established a dedicated outbreak response team. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that the outbreak was 'very much, we hope, under control' and that his administration would provide a full report on Friday.
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