New updates following the disembarkation of passengers from the Dutch cruise ship Hondius in Tenerife, the scene of a hantavirus outbreak that has caused three deaths and infected several passengers.
One of the 17 American citizens repatriated from the ship has tested positive , while another has mild symptoms. "One passenger is currently experiencing mild symptoms, and another passenger has tested mildly positive for the Andes virus via PCR," the U.S. Department of Health said.
The disembarked U.S. passengers were taken to Nebraska, where they will be held for observation at the National Quarantine Unit , located on the campus of the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha. This facility specializes in the management of high-risk communicable diseases.
A French citizen also showed symptoms upon returning from Tenerife, prompting Paris to place the patient in isolation. A French woman who tested positive worsened after returning and was admitted to a hospital specializing in infectious diseases. The four Italian residents, however, are completely asymptomatic.
A total of 94 people of 19 nationalities have been disembarked and repatriated from the Hondius. Another 26 passengers will disembark today for repatriation . The crew of 34 will remain on board the ship, which will refuel at the quayside in the industrial port of Granadilla. Once the passenger evacuation is complete, it will resume its journey to the Netherlands, where the ship will be sanitized.
Meanwhile, the Italian Ministry of Health confirms that the risk associated
Hantavirus infection remains "low." The Ministry is preparing a circular to Regions and border offices to provide an overview of the situation and advise what to do, based on ECDC guidelines, if people show symptoms suggestive of ongoing Hantavirus infection. The circular should contain instructions on contact tracing, active surveillance, and possible mandatory isolation.
(Unioneonline)
