The United States has started evacuating 17 American citizens from a cruise vessel linked to a hantavirus outbreak, according to the Department of Health and Human Services.
Officials said a State Department-chartered aircraft transported the passengers from the MV Hondius after the ship arrived Sunday in Tenerife in Spain’s Canary Islands. The evacuation operation was carried out in coordination with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Two travelers were placed inside specialized biocontainment units during the flight after potential exposure to the virus. One passenger displayed mild symptoms, while another tested positive for hantavirus, health authorities confirmed.
Upon arrival in the United States, the passengers will initially be taken to the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha for medical evaluation. The symptomatic individual is expected to be transferred later to another advanced treatment facility for further care.
Health officials stated that all evacuees will undergo clinical assessments and receive treatment based on their condition.
The CDC has categorized the incident as a Level 3 emergency response, representing the agency’s lowest emergency activation stage.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the outbreak involving the Andes strain of hantavirus has resulted in five confirmed infections, including three fatalities.
Medical experts identified the outbreak as the rare Andes variant, the only hantavirus strain known to spread between humans through close personal contact.
WHO officials reported that two deceased passengers had recently traveled through Argentina, Chile and Uruguay before boarding the cruise ship.
US health authorities said all passengers will remain under observation for approximately six weeks due to the virus’s incubation period. Several state health departments are also monitoring travelers who departed the ship before the outbreak was officially detected.
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