Note: Single-source report; awaiting corroboration.
The United States government is actively monitoring and responding to a hantavirus outbreak linked to the M/V Hondius cruise ship. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) state that the risk for the US public remains very low. Health guidelines for affected US passengers have been prepared and distributed by the US Department of State.
CDC infectious disease experts are collaborating internationally to create uniform monitoring guidelines, which will be provided to state and local health departments. The primary focus of the US government is the safe repatriation of US passengers aboard the cruise.
Plans include the medical evacuation of these passengers on a government-organized flight to Offutt Air Force Base in Omaha, Nebraska, from where they will be transferred to the National Quarantine Center at the University of Nebraska in Omaha. CDC teams have been deployed to the Canary Islands, where the M/V Hondius is expected to dock, to assess exposure risks for each US passenger and recommend appropriate monitoring.
An additional CDC team will be stationed at Offutt Air Force Base to assist with the public health evaluation of returning passengers, ensuring coordinated monitoring and care.