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Doctors stress that the Hanta virus will not be the next COVID and turn into *** widespread pandemic, but with *** fatality rate of up to 50% for this current circulating strain, they say they’re taking every precaution possible to make sure it does not spread. Right now. Most of the 18 passengers are currently being quarantined in Nebraska after arriving early. This morning from the infected cruise ship, one patient who is asymptomatic tested positive for hanta virus and is now in *** specialized biocontainment unit. 15 others are also not showing symptoms and are in quarantine. The remaining 2 passengers, *** couple, are in *** medical facility in Georgia with 1 person reportedly experiencing symptoms. Doctors say that the virus requires prolonged intimate contact with an infected person for human to human transmission, meaning little chance it spreads and becomes *** pandemic, and doctors say outbreaks in the US have happened before. Still, they face *** blunt question on how they’re keeping the virus contained. You can guarantee no American will catch this virus from these returning passengers. There are no guarantees in life. We’re putting as many measures in place as possible to ensure that people are safe and healthy, and we keep the community safe and healthy as well. Doctors say that there is no cure for junta virus, just supportive and aggressive healthcare, including IV fluids, as well as medical intubation if symptoms become severe. Reporting in Washington, I’m Amy Lip.
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18 passengers possibly exposed to hantavirus quarantine in Nebraska, Georgia
Health officials stress the risk to public health safety is “extremely low.”
Eighteen passengers from an infected hantavirus cruise ship, including 17 Americans and one dual British-U.S. citizen, arrived in the U.S. early Monday morning, according to U.S. health officials.Most of the passengers are now being quarantined in Nebraska, with at least one patient, who is asymptomatic, testing positive for hantavirus and is being treated in a specialized biocontainment unit. Fifteen others are not showing symptoms and remain in quarantine. Meanwhile, two passengers, a couple, are in quarantine at a medical facility in Georgia, with one reportedly experiencing symptoms. Still, doctors and health officials stressed in a Monday press conference that the hantavirus would not turn into a widespread pandemic. But, with a recorded fatality rate of up to 50% from the current circulating Andes strain, they said they would take every precaution to ensure it does not spread. “The risk of hantavirus to the general public remains very, very low,” Assistant Secretary for Health Adm. Brian Christine said. “Even so, we have taken this situation very seriously from the very start.”Doctors say the hantavirus requires prolonged, intimate contact with an infected person for human-to-human transmission, meaning there is little chance it will spread and become a pandemic. They also noted that outbreaks in the U.S. have occurred before. Doctors said there is no cure for the hantavirus, but supportive and aggressive care, such as IV fluids and mechanical intubation, can help manage severe symptoms. “There are no guarantees in life. We’re putting as many measures in place as possible to ensure that people are safe and healthy and we keep the community safe and healthy as well,” Capt. Brendan Jackson from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said.Meanwhile, the CDC also issued interim guidance for health departments to monitor potential exposures. High-risk contacts, such as those directly from the infected cruise ship, must undergo daily symptom monitoring for 42 days and limit travel and activities. Low-risk contacts, such as those who may have shared a flight with an infected person, are advised to self-monitor for 42 days but face no travel or activity restrictions. Officials clarified that the passengers currently in quarantine were evacuated on a medical repatriation flight, not a commercial one. Investigators believe the outbreak may have originated with a Dutch couple who contracted the virus while bird-watching in Argentina. Reports suggest the couple visited a landfill during a tour, potentially exposing them to rodents, which are the primary source of hantavirus transmission to humans. The Get The Facts Data Team found that hantavirus infections in the U.S. are rare, with fewer than 30 cases reported annually between 1993 and 2023, according to CDC data. Around 850 cases have been recorded in total, with about one-third resulting in death.Watch more coverage on the hantavirus outbreak:
Eighteen passengers from an infected hantavirus cruise ship, including 17 Americans and one dual British-U.S. citizen, arrived in the U.S. early Monday morning, according to U.S. health officials.
Most of the passengers are now being quarantined in Nebraska, with at least one patient, who is asymptomatic, testing positive for hantavirus and is being treated in a specialized biocontainment unit. Fifteen others are not showing symptoms and remain in quarantine.
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Meanwhile, two passengers, a couple, are in quarantine at a medical facility in Georgia, with one reportedly experiencing symptoms.
Still, doctors and health officials stressed in a Monday press conference that the hantavirus would not turn into a widespread pandemic. But, with a recorded fatality rate of up to 50% from the current circulating Andes strain, they said they would take every precaution to ensure it does not spread.
“The risk of hantavirus to the general public remains very, very low,” Assistant Secretary for Health Adm. Brian Christine said. “Even so, we have taken this situation very seriously from the very start.”
Doctors say the hantavirus requires prolonged, intimate contact with an infected person for human-to-human transmission, meaning there is little chance it will spread and become a pandemic. They also noted that outbreaks in the U.S. have occurred before.
Doctors said there is no cure for the hantavirus, but supportive and aggressive care, such as IV fluids and mechanical intubation, can help manage severe symptoms.
“There are no guarantees in life. We’re putting as many measures in place as possible to ensure that people are safe and healthy and we keep the community safe and healthy as well,” Capt. Brendan Jackson from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said.
Meanwhile, the CDC also issued interim guidance for health departments to monitor potential exposures.
High-risk contacts, such as those directly from the infected cruise ship, must undergo daily symptom monitoring for 42 days and limit travel and activities.
Low-risk contacts, such as those who may have shared a flight with an infected person, are advised to self-monitor for 42 days but face no travel or activity restrictions.
Officials clarified that the passengers currently in quarantine were evacuated on a medical repatriation flight, not a commercial one.
Investigators believe the outbreak may have originated with a Dutch couple who contracted the virus while bird-watching in Argentina. Reports suggest the couple visited a landfill during a tour, potentially exposing them to rodents, which are the primary source of hantavirus transmission to humans.
The Get The Facts Data Team found that hantavirus infections in the U.S. are rare, with fewer than 30 cases reported annually between 1993 and 2023, according to CDC data. Around 850 cases have been recorded in total, with about one-third resulting in death.
Watch more coverage on the hantavirus outbreak:
