- Quarantine monitoring for six passengers from the M/V Hondius cruise ship who were exposed to hantavirus has ended at the National Quarantine Unit at the University of Nebraska Medical Center.
- The exposure window for the virus ended on Sunday, allowing all six passengers to return home.
- Three deaths and 13 cases of the rare Andes strain of hantavirus were linked to the cruise, prompting the quarantine.
- The US health and human services department confirmed the end of the required isolation for the group after six weeks of monitoring.
- One passenger, Angela Perryman, expressed dissatisfaction with her enforced detention during the quarantine.
- The quarantine period was set for 42 days because symptoms of hantavirus can take that long to appear.
- None of the Americans in quarantine were reported to have contracted the disease, which is typically spread through contaminated rodent droppings.
- The hantavirus outbreak was linked to the M/V Hondius cruise, which took place in early May.
Quarantine monitoring for passengers of the M/V Hondius has ended after a deadly hantavirus outbreak. Six passengers completed their 42-day monitoring at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, with no reported cases of the virus among them.110
Three people died and 13 cases of the rare Andes strain of hantavirus were identified on the cruise ship, which had over 120 evacuees.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) confirmed the end of isolation for the group, stating it was necessary for public safety.
In a statement, HHS spokesperson Emily Hilliard said, “Through close collaboration among federal, state, and local partners, HHS helped protect the American people, contain potential risks, and bring this response effort to a successful conclusion.”
Critics of the quarantine described it as “authoritarian” and “unconstitutional,” with health law experts warning it sets a dangerous precedent.
Lawrence Gostin, a health law professor, stated, “Cavalierly detaining somebody for no good reason, no crime and no significant public risk is arbitrary, it’s capricious and it’s unjust.”
Despite the outbreak, none of the Americans monitored in Nebraska developed symptoms, which can take up to 42 days to appear.
During their stay, local restaurants provided meals, and passengers expressed relief upon their release, with one posting a video titled, “I’m finally coming home.”
“The quarantine for passengers exposed to hantavirus on the M/V Hondius has concluded after 42 days. None of the Americans monitored in Nebraska were reported to have contracted the disease.”
WOWT
The Guardian