Two passengers from the MV Hondius cruise ship, infected with hantavirus, have been transported to Emory University Hospital in Atlanta for treatment. Healthcare workers in hazmat gear were seen rushing the patients into intensive care upon their arrival. The cruise ship had been hit by the rat-borne virus, leading to three deaths during the voyage.
Both patients, who had recently disembarked the virus-stricken ship after a five-week journey, are now under medical care at the hospital. One patient is showing symptoms and is being treated in Emory’s biocontainment unit, while the other is asymptomatic and is being monitored. Authorities have confirmed that the patients were from the cruise ship that experienced the hantavirus outbreak while docked in the Canary Islands.
The Georgia Department of Public Health stated that there is no public risk associated with these cases, as federal health workers are taking necessary precautions. Hantavirus infection symptoms include fever, muscle aches, headaches, and respiratory issues, with a case fatality rate of around 35% in the US.
Hantavirus comes in various strains globally, with the Andes strain being the only one known to spread among humans. Although the symptomatic patient in the US has raised concerns, officials assure that there is no reason for alarm.
Dr. Jodie Guest, an epidemiologist at Emory University, mentioned that hantavirus is a rare disease with fewer than 900 cases ever recorded in the US. She described it as a “dead-end virus” that typically does not lead to widespread transmission.
Health experts emphasize that hantavirus does not pose the same transmission risks as the flu or coronavirus, as it primarily affects the lower respiratory system. Unlike airborne viruses, hantavirus is not easily spread through coughing or talking. There is currently no vaccine available for hantavirus infection, according to the World Health Organization.
