One passenger en route to Omaha tested positive for hantavirus

KETV. NEWSWATCH SEVEN STARTS WITH BREAKING NEWS. THAT BREAKING NEWS. ONE OF THE AMERICAN PASSENGERS FROM THE CRUISE SHIP IMPACTED BY A HANTAVIRUS OUTBREAK HAS TESTED POSITIVE FOR THE VIRUS, ACCORDING TO HEALTH OFFICIALS. THANKS FOR JOINING US. I’M MADDIE AUGUSTINE. THE 17 AMERICANS POTENTIALLY EXPOSED TO THE VIRUS ON THE LUXURY ANTARCTIC CRUISE SHIP BOARDED A FLIGHT FROM TENERIFE, SPAIN, AND ARE ON THEIR WAY TO OMAHA RIGHT NOW. NEBRASKA MEDICINE AND UNMC OFFICIALS SAY THE PASSENGER THAT HAS TESTED POSITIVE WILL BE TAKEN TO THE NEBRASKA BIOCONTAINMENT UNIT UPON ARRIVAL. THE OTHERS WILL GO TO THE NATIONAL QUARANTINE UNIT. THEIR FLIGHT TOOK OFF JUST BEFORE 5 P.M. CENTRAL TIME AND IS EXPECTED TO LAND AT EPPLEY AIRFIELD OVERNIGHT. AND THAT’S WHERE WE GO LIVE TO KETV NEWSWATCH SEVEN’S BETH CARLSON WITH THE LATEST BETH. THAT’S RIGHT, THE ONE PERSON BEING TAKEN TO THE BIOCONTAINMENT UNIT DID TEST POSITIVE. OFFICIALS SAY THEY DID NOT EXPERIENCE SYMPTOMS BUT HAVE BEEN MANAGED SEPARATELY ABOARD THAT FLIGHT FROM THE OTHER PASSENGERS. AS A REMINDER, THOSE PASSENGERS COMING FROM THAT CRUISE SHIP ARE COMING TO EPPLEY AIRFIELD OVERNIGHT. IN THE NEXT HOURS, THE OTHER PASSENGERS THAT HAVE NOT TESTED POSITIVE WILL BE ASSESSED AT THE NATIONAL QUARANTINE UNIT THAT’S ON THE UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA MEDICAL CENTER CAMPUS. NOW, A CDC OFFICIAL CONFIRMED THAT THE PASSENGERS WILL UNDERGO HEALTH SCREENINGS AT UNMC. EARLIER TODAY, THE CDC SAID THE AMERICANS WILL THEN BE ALLOWED TO QUARANTINE FROM THEIR HOMES WHILE MONITORING SYMPTOMS FOR THE FOLLOWING 42 DAYS. THERE HAS BEEN NO UPDATE, AND IT’S STILL UNCLEAR IF THAT WILL STILL BE ALLOWED. NOW THAT ONE PERSON HAS BEEN ANNOUNCED THAT THEY HAVE TESTED POSITIVE. PASSENGERS FROM SPAIN AND FRANCE ABOARD THAT CRUISE SHIP WERE ALSO FLOWN TO HOSPITALS IN THEIR RESPECTIVE COUNTRIES THIS AFTERNOON, EIGHT PEOPLE ABOARD THAT CRUISE SHIP WERE INFECTED IN TOTAL PRIOR TO DISEMBARKING. TODAY, THREE OF THEM HAVE DIED. THE ACTING DIRECTOR OF THE CDC SAYS. THE FLIGHT TO OMAHA HAS BEEN THE STANDARD PROTOCOL FOR THEIR RESPONSE TO THE OUTBREAK. THEY’RE CONTINUING TO EMPHASIZE THAT THIS ILLNESS IS MUCH DIFFERENT FROM THE COVID 19 OUTBREAK. NOW, OFFICIALS SAY THE ONE AMERICAN THAT HAS TESTED POSITIVE WILL BE MONITORED IN THE BIOCONTAINMENT UNIT, AGAIN SEPARATELY FROM ALL OTHER PASSENGERS. OUT OF AN ABUNDANCE OF CAUTION, FOLLOW UP TESTING WILL BE PROVIDED AND PERFORMED AS WELL. NOW, WE EXPECT TO LEARN A LOT MORE FROM UNMC AND NEBRASKA MEDICINE, AS WELL AS FEDERAL, STATE AND LOCAL LEADERS. AT A PRESS CONFERENCE TOMORROW ON THAT CAMPUS AT 9 A.M., WE’LL ALSO HAVE CREWS HERE AT EPPLEY AS THAT FLIGHT ARRIVES. AND AT THAT MEETING TOMORROW, LEARNING THE DETAILS AND BRINGING THEM TO YOU AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. BUT FOR NOW, LIVE AT EPPLEY AIRFIELD.