Hantavirus case: US citizen tests positive after cruise ship evacuation

By: Abudu Olalekan

A US citizen evacuated from a cruise ship linked to a hantavirus outbreak has tested mildly positive, according to the US Department of Health and Human Services.

The passenger is one of 17 Americans being repatriated after the ship—hit by the rare virus—made a stop in Spain’s Canary Islands.

In its update on Sunday, the department said: “One passenger currently has mild symptoms and another passenger tested mildly PCR positive for the Andes virus.”

So yes, there are two separate cases being watched closely—one person feeling unwell, and another showing a mild positive PCR result.

Both passengers are travelling inside the plane’s biocontainment units, which the agency said is simply “out of an abundance of caution.” Basically, they’re not taking chances.

The group is being flown to the United States and will be taken to a specialized center in rural Nebraska. The passenger showing mild symptoms will be moved to a second facility.

Once they arrive, the department said everyone will be checked over. “Each person will undergo clinical assessment and receive appropriate care and support based on their condition.”

The cruise ship involved, MV Hondius, has recorded three deaths, with several others reportedly falling sick. Hantavirus is rare, and it’s usually associated with rodents rather than spreading easily from person to person.