Five US passengers from hantavirus-hit ship return to home states
Quarantine and Monitoring of Hantavirus-Exposed Passengers
Return of Passengers to Home States
June 2 (Reuters) - Five U.S. residents who were on the hantavirus-hit MV Hondius cruise ship have returned to their home states following three weeks of monitoring at the National Quarantine Unit, the University of Nebraska Medical Center said on Tuesday, while 13 passengers remain under observation.
CDC Quarantine Request
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had requested that the individuals from the cruise ship remain at the NQU through May 31.
Ongoing Monitoring Procedures
UNMC said the passengers will continue to be monitored for the next 21 days under the jurisdiction of their local and state public health departments.
Health Status and Public Health Criteria
An HHS official said the five passengers remain symptom-free and have met public health criteria to safely continue monitoring outside the NQU.
Background on Quarantine and Outbreak
The passengers were among the 18 U.S. residents who were on the ship and were placed under quarantine before the hantavirus outbreak was identified.
Current Monitoring Efforts
According to the CDC, currently forty-one U.S. residents are being monitored for possible infection.
International and State Guidelines
The WHO recommends monitoring and quarantining high-risk contacts for 42 days after exposure, while advising low-risk contacts to self-monitor and seek medical care if symptoms develop.
Role of State Health Departments
State health departments will continue daily symptom monitoring, maintain 24/7 oversight, and provide guidance throughout the remainder of the 42-day monitoring period, the Department of Health and Human Services official said.
(Reporting by Christy Santhosh in Bengaluru; Editing by Shinjini Ganguli)
