Washington, May 9 (IANS): Seventeen American citizens aboard the hantavirus-hit cruise ship MV Hondius are set to be quarantined at the National Quarantine Unit, a secured facility located on the University of Nebraska Medical Centre campus in Omaha, upon their return to the United States, according to Michael Wadman, the unit’s medical director. The US State Department confirmed it is arranging a repatriation flight for the Americans, as the MV Hondius is expected to dock in Tenerife, Spain’s Canary Islands, on Sunday. Meanwhile, at least seven other Americans who were aboard the vessel are already isolating at home across five states, with local health officials confirming that none are currently showing any symptoms of the virus. The CDC has activated its Emergency Operations Centers and classified the outbreak as a Level 3 emergency alert – the agency’s lowest emergency classification level – signalling heightened concern and coordinated federal response to the developing situation.
As the outbreak continues to draw international attention, Spanish health authorities have identified a second monitored contact linked to the MV Hondius hantavirus outbreak – a woman living in Catalonia who shared a flight with a deceased Dutch traveller connected to the ship. Spain’s Center for Coordination of Health Alerts and Emergencies (CCAES) revealed the woman was initially missed during contact tracing due to a seat change on the aircraft, but has since been identified as asymptomatic and now meets the criteria for monitored contact under a newly approved national surveillance protocol. She will remain under medical observation as authorities continue to trace and monitor individuals potentially exposed to the virus. The developments highlight the growing complexity of containing the outbreak as affected passengers dispersed across multiple countries following their time aboard the cruise ship.