American MV Hondius passengers are now being closely monitored for the deadly virus at home in three states, officials said Thursday.
Two Georgia residents, one in Arizona and an undisclosed number of California residents are now being observed for potential infections after they departed the Dutch cruise liner before the virus outbreak — which has killed three people and sickened at least seven others so far — was recently confirmed.
The Peach State residents were both currently in good health, showing no signs of infection and following recommendations from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the Georgia Department of Public Health said.
American MV Hondius passengers are now being closely monitored for the deadly virus at home in three states. AFP via Getty Images The Arizona passenger was not experiencing symptoms either, according to the state’s health services department.
The number of Californians being monitored wasn’t disclosed, however, the state’s department of health said the risk to the public was low.
“There is no information that the California residents are ill or infected,” Robert Barsanti, a spokesman for the California Department of Public Health said in a statement to the New York Times.
“At this time, the risk to public health in California is low.”
The MV Hondius is currently on its way to the Canary Islands, where the ship’s operating company and the World Health Organization expect the roughly 150 remaining passengers will be permitted to disembark. The 353-foot vessel has been left stranded off the coast of Cape Verde for several days this week.
A 56-year-old former British cop, a 41-year-old Dutch national and a 65-year-old German national were evacuated from the ship and flown to the Netherlands for medical attention Wednesday.
Two Georgia residents, one in Arizona and an undisclosed number of California residents are now being observed for potential infections after they departed the Dutch cruise liner before the virus outbreak. AFP via Getty Images A flight attendant has been hospitalized with a suspected infection after she came in contact with one of the sickened MV Hondius cruise ship passengers, an elderly Dutch woman, who later died.
A Swiss man who had also returned home earlier in the expedition ship’s 35-day-long voyage — during its two-day stop at Saint Helena, along with at least 22 other passengers — tested positive for the virus Wednesday.
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Though hantavirus is typically spread through rodent droppings, a rare strain that can be transmitted person-to-person and carries a 40% mortality rate — the Andes virus — is the culprit behind the Hondius outbreak, the WHO announced this week.
Experts have stressed that human-to-human contagion is very rare and requires very close contact, but the outbreak has put health authorities on high alert.
Countries worldwide, including the US, are still scrambling to trace people who had already left the cruise ship before the outbreak became known.
