Officials of the US health authorities announced on Thursday that the American passenger aboard the cruise ship MV Hondius, originally thought to be positive for hantavirus, was ultimately negative after further tests in the United States. This reevaluation comes as several people continue to be monitored following the detected infection outbreak on the ship.
The Nebraska Medical Center, where the man has been hospitalized since his repatriation, confirmed that the latest results ruled out any contamination. “The two tests, by PCR and serology, are negative,” said Taylor Wilson, the facility’s communication director. US authorities decided on Wednesday to conduct new tests after initial results were deemed inconclusive, with one lab detecting a positive result while another concluded a negative test.
Currently no cases in the United States
According to Taylor Wilson, “we only received the results this morning.” The passenger, who showed no symptoms, has since left the biological containment unit where he was placed upon arrival to join the unit receiving fifteen other repatriated Americans from the ship. Two other passengers evacuated over the weekend are also hospitalized in Atlanta, Georgia.
During a press briefing on Thursday, David Fitter, in charge of the hantavirus response at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), stated that “there are currently no cases in the United States.” He specified that 41 people are still being monitored in connection with this case related to MV Hondius.
Individuals exposed to be isolated for 42 days
These individuals include the 18 passengers recently repatriated to the United States, including an American-British citizen, as well as former passengers who left the ship before the outbreak was identified and several close contacts. According to David Fitter, some may have been exposed while traveling, particularly on flights where a symptomatic case was present, mentioning the flight from Saint Helena to Johannesburg taken by a Dutch passenger who was infected, identified on April 26.
The 41 individuals involved must isolate for 42 days, at home or in specialized medical facilities depending on their situation. Three individuals have also been transferred to a university hospital in Kansas for medical surveillance, according to local authorities. Unlike France, which opted to test all close contacts, the US authorities only recommend tests in the presence of symptoms. The handling of this situation has also raised questions in the United States, particularly due to the lack of mandatory quarantine and communication challenges noted by several observers.
