An American traveler has tested positive for the hantavirus, and a French traveler has shown symptoms during separate flights after passengers were evacuated from a cruise ship affected by the hantavirus outbreak. These passengers were flown home on military and government aircraft.
Among the 17 American evacuees from the MV Hondius, one individual tested positive for the hantavirus, although they remain asymptomatic, according to U.S. health authorities.
Meanwhile, one of the five French passengers began experiencing symptoms during their journey back to France, as confirmed by French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu. All five have been placed in strict isolation pending further testing.
The evacuation of passengers from the MV Hondius took place after the ship docked in Tenerife, the largest of Spain’s Canary Islands, located off the West African coast.
Initially, the Spanish Health Ministry, alongside the World Health Organization and the cruise line Oceanwide Expeditions, reported that none of the over 140 individuals aboard the Hondius had shown any signs of the virus.
The plane transporting the American passengers is scheduled to land in Omaha, Nebraska, today.
They would first be taken to the University of Nebraska, which has a federally funded quarantine facility, to assess whether they have been in close contact with any symptomatic people and their risk levels for spreading the virus.
“One passenger will be transported to the Nebraska Biocontainment Unit upon arrival, while other passengers will go to the National Quarantine Unit for assessment and monitoring. The passenger who is going to the Biocontainment Unit tested positive for the virus but does not have symptoms,” said Kayla Thomas, a spokesperson for The Nebraska Medical Centre.
From the ship, all of the passengers were escorted to shore by personnel in full-body protective gear and breathing masks.
Spanish passengers were the first to leave, flown to Madrid and taken to a military hospital.
Hours later, a plane that evacuated French passengers landed in Paris, where it was met by emergency vehicles.
Meanwhile, plans for the Australians from the ship have been revealed.
NSW Health said it’s working with the federal government on the plan for the four Australian passengers from the ship, where three people have died.
They’ll be taken to the NSW Biocontainment Centre at Westmead Hospital once they get home from the Canaries, where it is now docked.
Unveiled in 2023, it is a special unit to isolate patients with rare, highly infectious diseases.
The cruise ship patients will be assessed and have quarantine arrangements planned.
They’re due to land in a charter flight in Perth tomorrow.
”These passengers will be closely monitored, and should any develop symptoms, they will be assessed by an infectious diseases physician and be provided appropriate care,” NSW Health said.
“The risk to the public is low.”
â with Associated Press
NEVER MISS A STORY: Get your breaking news and exclusive stories first by following us across all platforms.
