MV Hondius游轮上的乘客周日早上开始在加那利群岛的特内里费下船，预计他们将继续乘坐包机返回自己的国家。
该船上确诊和可能的汉坦病毒病例总数为8例，包括2例确诊死于该病毒的病例和1例仍怀疑死于该病毒的病例。
船上有17名美国公民，他们将返回美国。根据疾病控制和预防中心(CDC)的说法，截至周六，他们中没有人检测出汉坦病毒阳性。
CDC的一名官员周六说，联邦政府不打算让被遣返的美国游轮乘客在抵达美国后接受检疫。
什么是汉坦病毒，它是如何传播的?
以下是你需要了解的汉坦病毒，包括它是什么，它是如何传播的，它是如何治疗的，以及是否有任何预防方法:
什么是汉坦病毒?
根据CDC的说法，汉坦病毒是一个可以导致严重疾病和死亡的病毒家族。
汉坦病毒是如何传播的?
根据世卫组织的说法，汉坦病毒也可能在人与人之间传播，但这也是罕见的，仅怀疑来自南美的一种亚型。
美国航班从西班牙起飞
这架载有18名乘客的飞机，包括17名美国人和一名身为美国居民的英国人，从MV Hondius下飞机，已经离开西班牙，返回美国。
美国乘客抵达特内里费机场
从MV Hondius上下来的美国乘客已经到达加那利群岛的特内里费机场。
西班牙卫生部长告诉ABC新闻，共有18人将乘坐美国遣返航班，包括17名美国人和一名居住在美国的英国公民。
从MV Hondius下船的美国乘客
MV Hondius号上的17名美国人已经开始下船。
据疾病控制和预防中心(CDC)称，截至周六，没有一名美国乘客的汉坦病毒检测呈阳性。
西班牙总统办公室的一名消息人士此前告诉美国广播公司新闻，将把美国人送回美国的飞机预计将于当地时间晚上9点30分/东部时间下午4点30分从特内里费起飞，但如果情况允许，可能会提前起飞。目前还不清楚这架飞机是否或何时降落在特内里费岛。
乘客将被空运到内布拉斯加州奥马哈的国家检疫单位，由内布拉斯加医学和内布拉斯加大学医学中心管理，是美国唯一由联邦政府资助的检疫单位
在星期五的新闻发布会上，国家检疫部门的官员说，目前还没有确定这些乘客将在检疫部门停留多长时间。
法国总理说，法国MV Hondius号乘客现在出现症状
据法国总理称，MV Hondius号上的五名法国国民中有一人显示出汉坦病毒感染的迹象。
“在汉坦病毒感染的温床——MV hon dius上的五名同胞已被遣返回国。其中一人在遣返航班上出现症状，“塞巴斯蒂安·勒科尔努总理周日发布于X.
“因此，这五名乘客立即被严格隔离，直到另行通知，”Lecornu说，并补充说，乘客“正在接受医疗护理，并将接受测试和全面的健康评估。”
“从今晚开始，我将发布一项法令，对密切接触者实施适当的隔离措施，并保护一般人群，”勒科尔努补充说。
如果得到确认，这名法国国民将使船上确诊和可能的汉坦病毒病例总数达到9例，包括2名确认死于该病毒的人和1名仍然怀疑死于该病毒的人。
教皇利奥感谢加那利群岛居民对MV Hondius号乘客的“热情款待”
教皇利奥星期天在圣彼得广场进行公开午间祈祷时，感谢加那利群岛居民对MV Hondius号及其乘客的“热情款待”。
教皇说:“我要感谢加那利群岛的人民，他们以特有的热情好客欢迎了Hondius号游轮和感染汉他病毒的乘客。”
“我期待着在下个月访问群岛期间见到你们所有人，”教皇补充说，他指的是已经计划好的访问，是6月份西班牙之行的一部分。
包括17名美国人在内的MV Hondius号上的乘客周日在加那利群岛的特内里费下船，开始他们返回祖国的旅程。
专家说，汉坦病毒爆发“即将结束”
一位顶级传染病专家说，在MV Hondius号上爆发的汉坦病毒“现在即将结束”周日告诉ABC新闻“本周”.
“好消息是，从某种意义上说，这是汉坦病毒，而不是另一种冠状病毒或流感病毒。这种病毒在人与人之间传播的能力非常有限。事实上，这是一个罕见的例外，”明尼苏达大学传染病研究和政策中心(CIDRAP)主任迈克尔·奥斯特霍尔姆博士告诉ABC新闻的玛莎·拉达茨。“因此，我们对这一事实毫无疑问，它现在真的已经走到了尽头。”
奥斯特霍尔姆说，美国平均每年约有30例汉坦病毒病例，“它们大多发生在密西西比河以西”——约96%是由于生活在该地区的一种特殊老鼠。他还说，汉坦病毒株的人际传播是“非常罕见的例外”，只有当有人表现出病毒症状时才会发生。
“现在，你可以通过每天问他们两次‘你有发烧吗?’来管理那些已经暴露的人。然后量体温:‘你有什么症状吗?’奥斯特霍尔姆说:“如果有人在那个时候被识别出来，你基本上可以戴上N95口罩，阻止所有传播。
“所以这就是为什么我们不需要这种高科技，你知道，控制设施等等来监控这些人。我们可以非常简单地监控他们，”奥斯特霍尔姆补充道，解释了为什么没有必要隔离回国的美国人。
“我完全有信心，我们将在这里有良好的合规性，”奥斯特霍尔姆说，监测返回的乘客。“我认为几天之内，这将不再是一个故事。”
来自美国的飞机预计周日下午早些时候抵达特内里费岛
据西班牙总统办公室的消息人士称，一架来自美国的飞机预计将于当地时间下午5点23分/东部时间下午12点23分在加那利岛的特内里费岛着陆。
据消息人士称，这架飞机将只搭载美国乘客。船上有17名美国公民，他们将返回美国。
消息人士称，截至目前，美国飞机预计将于当地时间晚上9点30分/东部时间下午4点30分从特内里费起飞，但如果情况允许，可能会提前起飞。
周日早上，MV Hondius上的乘客开始在特内里费下船。
世卫组织专家说，普通人没有理由担心
据世界卫生组织(世卫组织)的一位专家称，“普通人没有理由担心”潜在的汉坦病毒感染。
“这种安第斯山汉坦病毒在人与人之间传播的数量有限...这不是冠状病毒肺炎，这不是在体育场外的机场走廊里经过某人并被感染，”世卫组织现场和人道主义流行病学小组组长、流行病学家鲍里斯·帕芙琳博士告诉美国广播公司新闻。
他还表示，对汉坦病毒感染群来源的调查表明，“完全有理由相信这来自啮齿动物”，它不是来自船只离开的地区，而是来自阿根廷北部和智利的其他地方，长尾稻鼠是安第斯山汉坦病毒株的特定携带者，在那里很常见。帕芙琳还证实，MV Hondius号上的第一批汉坦病毒病例此前曾前往北部的这一地区。
帕芙琳还证实，目前船上没有人出现任何症状，但“只是作为预防措施受到监控”他还说他理解人们为什么会担心。
“我知道对很多人来说这是一个新名字，但这不是一种新病毒。帕芙琳说:“我们几十年前就知道了，这并不奇怪。”。
撤离从MV Hondius船开始
MV Hondius上的乘客周日早上开始分小组下船，前往特内里费岛的海岸，预计他们将继续乘坐包机返回自己的国家。
西班牙卫生部长莫尼卡·加西亚周日在加那利群岛的港口，他说其余的乘客都被认为没有症状。
加西亚在乘客开始离船前说:“整个行动正在正常进行，我说过第一个下船的将是西班牙公民，然后飞往荷兰的航班将离开。”
她说，计划为前往加拿大、土耳其、法国、英国、爱尔兰和美国的乘客提供航班。
“荷兰将派出两架飞机:今天的飞机和明天的另一架飞机，我们称之为‘清扫飞机’，去接其他国家没有接走的乘客，”她说。“但原则上，嗯，在今天和明天，所有国籍的飞机都将下飞机，然后被带回各自的国家。”
游轮抵达特内里费岛
MV Hondius于周日早些时候抵达特内里费海岸，于当地时间早上5点30分左右在工业港口Granadilla附近抛锚。
从船上撤离预计会尽快开始。
加那利群岛是非洲西北部海岸的西班牙群岛，当地政府表示，希望所有人在今天之前下船离开加那利群岛。
他们还说，他们希望船在今天结束前离开。
世卫组织主任抵达港口，说特内里费准备协调邮轮抵达
世卫组织主任Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus周六参观了特内里费的港口，该港口将接收游轮，并向当地居民保证，当地人口的风险很低，特内里费已做好准备。
世卫组织主任和西班牙卫生部长Monica Garcia以及其他西班牙当局一起出席了一个简短的新闻发布会。
世卫组织主任说，由于疾病的性质和西班牙政府已经做好准备，当地人口的风险很低。但他补充说，由于冠状病毒肺炎的创伤，担忧是合理的，他决定去特内里费岛“站在人民一边”
乘客下机后，预计将有6个遣返航班飞往欧洲联盟其他地方，4个非欧盟航班。
据西班牙卫生部长称，西班牙乘客将是第一批下飞机的乘客，他说，这些乘客将被空运到马德里，在该市的戈麦斯-乌拉军事医院进行隔离。
部长说船上没有人有任何症状。
美国疾病控制中心官员:美国乘客没有强制隔离
一名CDC官员周六表示，联邦政府不打算让被遣返的美国游轮乘客在抵达内布拉斯加州后接受检疫。
“我们没有隔离任何人，”一名CDC官员周六在电话中告诉记者。
据CDC官员称，截至周六，游轮上的17名美国人没有一人检测出汉坦病毒阳性。
当被问及是否会对乘客进行检测时，疾控中心的一名官员说，“不建议对没有症状的人进行检测。”
联邦官员向乘客介绍了他们的计划。
官员们说，每位乘客在抵达美国后都将接受评估，他们可能会选择回家，在42天内观察任何潜在的症状，同时与他们所在的州或当地卫生部门保持联系。
官员可能会建议进行家庭监控的乘客将户外活动限制在不涉及与其他人广泛互动的范围内。
在…期间内布拉斯加州的国家检疫机构官员们表示，目前还没有强制隔离的计划。官员们说，他们希望乘客将在内布拉斯加州停留有限的时间。
西班牙当局准备在特内里费港口区接收乘客
据路透社(Reuters)报道，西班牙当局正在准备特内里费的港口区，以接收预定飞往美国、英国、法国、德国、比利时、爱尔兰和荷兰的遣返航班的乘客。
据路透社(Reuters)报道，西班牙内政部长费尔南多·格兰德·马拉斯卡(Fernando Grande-Marlaska)周六在新闻发布会上表示，“为了帮助那些没有空运资源的欧盟国家，欧洲民防机制(European Civil Protection Mechanism)提供了两架飞机，转移所需的航班将安排在今天周六的整个过程中。”。
“正如部长所说，上岸将根据国籍分组进行。只有当飞往特定国家的飞机在跑道上，准备飞往该国时，该国的国民才会利用西班牙军队提供的运输工具下飞机并被带到那里，”Grande-Marlaska说。
船只预计于当地时间周日早些时候抵达
据马德里卫生部称，这艘船预计将于当地时间周日早上4点至6点抵达特内里费岛并停泊。
14名西班牙乘客将首先被转移到格拉纳迪拉港。
M/V Hondius上的所有乘客将在未来24小时内开始撤离
加那利群岛地区政府的一名官员说，MV Hondius上的所有乘客将在未来24小时内开始疏散。
官员们说，政府的计划是不允许任何乘客将民众置于任何类型的风险之中。
官员们说，如果乘客没有准备好被直接转移到目的地的飞机上，那么他们将不能离开飞机。
通过国籍离开时，乘客将被转移到港口，穿戴全套保护设备以避免与加那利群岛领土的任何接触，他们将由几辆巴士护送通过TF1路线到达机场，大约需要15分钟到达机场。
CDC提醒美国医生和卫生部门注意潜在的输入性汉坦病毒病例
疾病预防控制中心正在提醒全国的医生和卫生部门注意邮轮疫情中输入汉坦病毒病例的可能性。
该机构指出，目前认为大范围传播到美国的风险极不可能。
在美国，还没有与游轮相关的确诊汉坦病毒病例，六个州至少有九名居民正在接受监测，但目前没有人表现出任何疾病迹象。
CDC通过健康预警网络(HAN)系统向医生提供的建议提醒他们，如果出现潜在的汉坦病毒病例，患者应被安置在隔离室，医护人员应使用手术衣、手套、护目镜和N95口罩或更高级别的呼吸器。
官员们说，如果患者出现汉坦病毒症状以及已知与受感染者接触，医生也应该考虑将汉坦病毒感染作为一种潜在的诊断。
加州称1名居民从游轮返回后受到监控
加州卫生部门表示，他们正在监测游轮M/V Hondius的一名前乘客是否感染了汉坦病毒。
“当地卫生官员正在与一名返回的乘客联系，”该部门在一份新闻稿中说。“目前，公共卫生方案包括每日体温检查和评估任何与汉坦病毒相符的症状，并指导修改活动。”
该部门表示，联邦官员通知说，第二名加州居民仍在游轮上。
至少有九名美国居民在六个州受到监控
目前，接受监测的美国居民没有任何患病迹象。
疾控中心部署小组到加那利群岛
疾病控制和预防中心表示，周五早些时候，他们向加那利群岛部署了一个小组，M/V Hondius号预计将在未来几天停靠在那里。
“该小组将对每位美国乘客进行暴露风险评估，并为所需的监控水平提供建议，”CDC在一份声明中说。
这些美国乘客将由美国政府的医疗遣返航班疏散到内布拉斯加州，并被运送到一个检疫中心在奥马哈的内布拉斯加大学，疾病控制中心说。
该机构表示，另一个疾病预防控制中心小组将部署到内布拉斯加州贝尔维尤的奥法特空军基地，以“支持对回国乘客的公共健康评估”。
船上的情况是“平静的”:邮轮公司
泛海探险队周五提供了M/V Hondius号上87名客人和60名船员的最新情况，并表示在前往加那利群岛的途中，船上的情况“保持平静”。
据泛海公司称，该船计划于周日早些时候抵达，但该时间表可能会有变动。
泛海在一份声明中说:“包括世卫组织、RIVM和荷兰当局在内的一些国家的组织，正在与西班牙政府当局密切合作，为我们的抵达点、所有客人的检疫和筛查程序，以及所有客人和受影响的船员的后续旅行计划做准备。”
游轮公司提供了船上乘客和船员的详细情况，并透露船上有17名美国人。
如何了解内布拉斯加州检疫机构准备接收来自感染汉坦病毒船只的美国人
在接下来的几天里，这艘疑似汉坦病毒聚集的游轮上的几名美国乘客将抵达内布拉斯加州的一个隔离区。以下是关于该设施需要了解的内容。
由内布拉斯加医学院和内布拉斯加大学医学中心(UNMC)管理的国家检疫机构是美国唯一由联邦政府资助的检疫机构
它的20个带独立浴室的单人房间包含单独的负气压系统，以安全地容纳暴露于高度危险的传染性疾病的个人，根据内布拉斯加医学和UNMC.
这些房间还为需要长时间住院的患者提供锻炼设备和WiFi连接。
内布拉斯加医学和UNMC还管理着内布拉斯加生物遏制单位(NBU)，该单位为患有高度危险传染病的患者提供医疗护理。
内布拉斯加州医学和UNMC在其声明中说:“单位人员由经过高级别隔离和生物准备专门培训的精选医生、护士、护理助理和呼吸治疗师组成。”网站.
NBU于2014年启动，以照顾受埃博拉疫情影响的美国公民，并从非洲进行医疗撤离，新冠肺炎疫情于2020年启动，以照顾来自中国武汉和钻石公主号游轮的美国公民。
内布拉斯加州检疫部门表示，他们已经“配备好人员，准备好”接收美国乘客
内布拉斯加州大学是美国游轮乘客将要前往的隔离设施的所在地，该大学表示，内布拉斯加州医学中心和内布拉斯加州大学医学中心(UNMC)正在与合作伙伴协调接收美国公民。
该大学表示，国家检疫机构是美国唯一由联邦政府资助的检疫机构。
内布拉斯加州医药公司的首席执行官迈克尔·阿什博士在一份声明中说:“我们已经为这样的情况做好了准备。”。“我们的团队与联邦和州合作伙伴一起训练了几十年，以确保我们能够安全地提供护理，同时保护我们的员工和更广泛的社区。我们为支持这一国家努力而自豪。”
该大学表示，内布拉斯加州医疗中心还设有内布拉斯加州生物遏制单位，这是一个高度专业化的设施，旨在护理患有“高后果传染病”的患者。
内布拉斯加医学和UNMC在2014年埃博拉疫情爆发期间治疗了患者，并在2020年照顾了首批被诊断患有新冠肺炎的美国人。
“我们理解这种情况会引发问题，”阿什说。“人们应该知道这些设施是专门为防止暴露在公众面前而设计的。在这些单位接受护理的人不会给社区带来风险。”
在周四早些时候发布的一份声明中，内布拉斯加大学表示，这两个单位“都配备了人员，并准备好了，如果需要，可以安全地提供护理，同时保护我们的员工和社区。”
世卫组织努力协调机组人员和乘客的安检程序
世界卫生组织的技术官员Anais Legand星期五向新闻界介绍了该组织在M/V Hondius船抵达加那利群岛后对船员和乘客进行检查的情况。
他说，卫生团队将与国家当局合作，每名船员都将接受训练有素的医务人员的评估。
据Legand说，流行病学家将审查个人暴露史和相互作用。
他说:“因此，这是一种让我们将所有信息整合在一起，并获得最大限度信息的方式，以便能够评估这个人的任何风险，并给他们正确的建议。”
疾病控制中心人员将在感染汉坦病毒的船只上会见美国人
疾病控制和预防中心的一名官员向美国广播公司新闻证实，该机构将派遣人员前往加那利群岛，M/V Hondius号游轮(位于疑似汉坦病毒聚集中心)定于周日抵达。
然后，小组将护送这些美国人到内布拉斯加州的国家检疫单位。
哪些州正在监测潜在的汉坦病毒
据卫生官员称，截至周五上午，没有美国居民出现任何疾病迹象。然而，六个州正在追踪九名居民可能感染汉坦病毒。
德克萨斯州、新泽西州和乔治亚州的卫生官员正在监控两人，而加利福尼亚州、弗吉尼亚州和亚利桑那州的官员表示，他们各自监控一人。
两名新泽西居民正接受汉坦病毒监测
两名新泽西居民——他们不是M/V Hondius号游轮上的乘客——正在接受监测，以确定是否感染汉坦病毒。
疾病控制和预防中心通知该州卫生部门，居民可能在一次飞行中接触到一名受感染的游轮乘客。两个人都没有报告症状。
这使得美国六个州被监控的居民总数达到至少九人。目前没有人表现出任何患病迹象。
国务院表示将为船上的美国人安排遣返航班
美国国务院周五表示，它正在“与船上的美国人直接沟通”受汉坦病毒爆发影响的荷兰游轮，并“准备在船抵达西班牙特内里费岛后立即提供领事援助。”
该部门补充说，它正在安排一个遣返航班，以支持这些美国乘客的返回。
该部门表示，正在与美国疾病控制和预防中心、美国卫生与公众服务部以及西班牙政府合作，计划运送这些乘客。
此外，该部门表示，它仍在“密切跟踪MV Hondius上的汉坦病毒爆发”，并与游轮工作人员和国际卫生当局保持“密切联系”。
西班牙发现新的汉坦病毒病例
据路透社(Reuters)报道，西班牙卫生部长哈维尔帕迪拉(Javier Padilla)周五告诉记者，西班牙阿利坎特省一名妇女的汉坦病毒感染检测呈阳性。
据帕迪拉说，这位身份不明的患者与在南非离船死亡的女子是同一航班的乘客。
MV Hondius预计将于周日中午抵达Granadilla港口
官员们说，MV Hondius现在预计将于当地时间周日下午12点抵达Granadilla港，但可能会因天气情况而推迟。
根据加那利群岛地区政府的一份声明，该船将不会在抵达后停靠码头，而是会抛锚，所有乘客在乘船转移到港口时都将穿着危险品防护服。
官员们说，乘客随后将由当局护送的一辆巴士转移到机场，在那里他们将开始按国籍登机，机上共有23个国籍。
格拉纳迪拉港和特内里费南部机场之间的旅程预计将持续约15分钟，官员们表示，乘客和船只将与卡纳里亚人完全隔离，不会影响当地的任何基础设施。
Hantavirus live updates: Americans aboard MV Hondius depart from Spain
Passengers onboard the MV Hondius cruise ship began disembarking on Sunday morning in Tenerife, in the Canary Islands, where they were expected to continue on to charter flights back to their home countries.
The total number of confirmed and probable cases of hantavirus onboard the ship is eight, including two people confirmed to have died from the virus and one person who remains suspected to have died from the virus.
There are 17 U.S. citizens aboard the ship who will be returning to the United States. As of Saturday none of them had tested positive for the hantavirus, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
A CDC official said Saturday that the federal government doesn't plan to have the repatriated American cruise ship passengers quarantine upon arrival in the U.S.
What is hantavirus and how does it spread?
Here's what you need to know about hantavirus including what it is, how it spreads, how it's treated and if there are any prevention methods:
What is hantavirus?
Hantaviruses are a family of viruses that can cause serious illnesses and death, according to the CDC.
How does hantavirus spread?
Hantaviruses may also spread from person to person, but that also is rare and only suspected for one subtype from South America, according to the WHO.
Read more about hantavirushere.
American flight takes off from Spain
The plane carrying 18 passengers, including 17 Americans and one British national who is a U.S. resident, that disembarked from the MV Hondius has departed Spain and is headed back to the United States.
American passengers arrive at Tenerife airport
The American passengers who disembarked from the MV Hondius have arrived at Tenerife airport in the Canary Islands.
A total 18 people will be on the American repatriation flight, including the 17 Americans and one British national who is a resident of the U.S., the Spanish minister of health told ABC News.
American passengers disembarking from MV Hondius
The 17 Americans aboard the MV Hondius have begun disembarking from the ship.
As of Saturday, none of the American passengers had tested positive for the hantavirus, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The aircraft that will return the Americans to the U.S. is expected to take off from Tenerife at 9:30 p.m. local time/4:30 p.m. Eastern time but could possibly depart earlier if circumstances allow, a source with the Spanish president's office previously told ABC News. It is not yet clear if or when that aircraft has landed in Tenerife.
The passengers will be flown to theNational Quarantine Unit in Omaha, Nebraska, managed by Nebraska Medicine and the University of Nebraska Medical Center and the only federally funded quarantine unit in the U.S.
During a press briefing Friday, officials with the National Quarantine Unit said there is not yet a defined period for how long the passengers would remain at the unit.
French MV Hondius passenger now symptomatic, French PM says
A person who was among five French nationals aboard the MV Hondius has shown signs of hantavirus infection, according to the French prime minister.
"Five of our compatriots present on the MV Hondius, a hotbed of Hantavirus infection, have been repatriated to national territory. One of them exhibited symptoms on the repatriation flight," Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornuposted Sunday on X.
"As a result, these five passengers were immediately placed in strict isolation until further notice," Lecornu said, adding that the passengers "are receiving medical care and will undergo testing and a full health assessment."
"Starting this evening, I will issue a decree to implement appropriate isolation measures for close contacts and to protect the general population," Lecornu added.
If confirmed, the French national would bring to nine the total number of confirmed and probable cases of hantavirus onboard the ship, including two people confirmed to have died from the virus and one person who remains suspected to have died from the virus.
Pope Leo thanks Canary Islands residents for 'hospitality' shown to MV Hondius passengers
During his public noontime prayer Sunday in St. Peter's Square, Pope Leo thanked residents of the Canary Islands for their "hospitality" shown to the MV Hondius and its passengers.
"I would like to thank the people of the Canary Islands who, with the hospitality characteristic of them, welcomed the cruise ship Hondius and the passengers infected with the hantavirus," the pontiff said.
"I look forward to seeing all of you next month during my visit to the islands," the pope added, referring to the visit that had already been planned as part of a broader trip to Spain in June.
The passengers aboard the MV Hondius, including 17 Americans, disembarked from the ship Sunday in Tenerife, in the Canary Islands, to begin their journeys back to their home countries.
Hantavirus outbreak 'on the end of its run right now,' expert says
The hantavirus outbreak aboard the MV Hondius "is on the end of its run right now," a top infectious disease experttold ABC News "This Week" Sunday.
"The good news is that, in a sense, it is hantavirus and not another coronavirus or influenza virus. This is one that has very limited ability to be transmitted person to person. In fact, it's a rare exception," Dr. Michael Osterholm, director of the University of Minnesota's Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP), told ABC News' Martha Raddatz. "And so we have no question about the fact that this really is on the end of its run right now."
There are about 30 cases of hantavirus a year in the U.S. on average, and "they mostly occur west of the Mississippi" – about 96%, Osterholm said, due to a specific mouse that lives in that region. He also said that person-to-person transmission of the hantavirus strain in question is "a very rare exception," and only occurs when someone is exhibiting symptoms of the virus.
"Right now, you can manage the individuals who have been exposed very simply by asking them twice a day, 'are you experiencing any kind of a fever?' And then take the temperature: 'Do you have any symptoms?' If somebody is identified right at that point, you can put basically an N95 mask on and stop all transmission," Osterholm said.
"So this is why we don't need this high-tech, you know, containment facilities, et cetera, to monitor these people. We can monitor them very simply," Osterholm added, explaining why quarantining returning Americans isn't necessary.
"I have complete confidence that we will have good compliance here," Osterholm said of monitoring passengers who are returning. "And I think within days, this will no longer be a story."
Airplane from US expected in Tenerife early Sunday afternoon
An airplane from the U.S. is expected to land in Tenerife, in the Canary Island, at 5:23 p.m. local time/12:23 p.m. Eastern time, according to a source in the Spanish president's office.
The aircraft will carry U.S. passengers only, according to the source. There are 17 U.S. citizens aboard the ship who will be returning to the United States.
As of now, the U.S. airplane is expected to take off from Tenerife at 9:30 p.m. local time/4:30 p.m. Eastern time but could possibly depart earlier if circumstances allow, the source said.
The passengers onboard the MV Hondius began disembarking from the ship in Tenerife on Sunday morning.
'The average person has no reason to worry,' WHO expert says
"The average person has no reason to worry" about potential hantavirus infection, according to an expert with the World Health Organization (WHO).
"This Andes hantavirus has spread in limited amount from human to human ... This is not COVID, this is not passing someone in a hallway in an airport outside at a stadium and getting infected," Dr. Boris Pavlin, an epidemiologist and the team lead for Field and Humanitarian Epidemiology at the WHO, told ABC News.
He also said the investigation in the hantavirus infection cluster's origin indicates "there's absolutely every reason to believe that this came from rodents" and that it did not originate from the region the ship departed, but elsewhere in northern Argentina and Chile, where the long-tailed rice rat, which is the specific carrier of the Andes hantavirus strain, is common. Pavlin also confirmed that the first hantavirus cases on board the MV Hondius had previously traveled to this region in the north.
Pavlin additionally confirmed that no one on board was currently showing any symptoms but were "just being monitored as a precautionary measure." He also said he understands why people are concerned.
"I know it's a new name for a lot of people, but this is not a new virus. We've known about it for decades and it's not surprising us," Pavlin said.
Evacuations begin from MV Hondius ship
Passengers onboard the MV Hondius began disembarking in small groups on Sunday morning, heading for the shore in Tenerife, where they were expected to continue on to charter flights back to their home countries.
Spain’s health minister, Monica Garcia, who was at the port in the Canary Islands on Sunday, said the remaining passengers were all thought to be asymptomatic.
"The entire operation is proceeding normally and I said the first to disembark will be the Spanish citizens, and then the flight to the Netherlands will depart," Garcia said prior to the passengers' beginning of their departures from the ship.
Flights were planned for passengers who were headed to Canada, Turkey, France, Great Britain, Ireland and the United States, she said.
"The Netherlands will send two planes: today's plane and another one tomorrow, which we'll call a 'sweeper plane,' to pick up any passengers not picked up by the other countries," she said. "But in principle, well, throughout today and tomorrow, all the planes of all nationalities will be disembarked and taken back to their respective countries."
Cruise ship arrives in Tenerife
The MV Hondius arrived early on Sunday off the coast of Tenerife, dropping anchor near the industrial port of Granadilla at about 5:30 a.m. local time.
Evacuations from the ship were expected to began as soon as possible.
The local government in the Canary Islands, the Spanish archipelago off the northwestern African coast, said it would like everyone off the boat and out of the Canary Islands by today.
WHO director arrives at port, says Tenerife is ready to coordinate cruise ship arrival
WHO Director Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus visited Saturday the port in Tenerife that is slated to receive the cruise ship and assured local residents the risk to the local population is low and that Tenerife is prepared.
The WHO director appeared at a short press briefing alongside Spanish Health Minister Monica Garcia and other Spanish authorities.
The WHO director said the risk to the local population is low because of the nature of the disease and because the Spanish government has made preparations. But he added concern is legitimate because of the trauma of COVID and decided to go to Tenerife to "be on the side of the people."
Following the disembarkation of passengers, it is expected there will be six repatriation flights to elsewhere in the European Union and four non-EU flights.
Spanish passengers are set to be the first to disembark, according to the Spanish health minister, who said the passengers will be flown to Madrid to quarantine at the city’s Gomez-Ulla military hospital.
The minister said no one on board the ship has any symptoms.
No mandatory quarantine for US passengers: CDC official
A CDC official said Saturday the federal government doesn't plan to have the repatriated American cruise ship passengers quarantine upon arrival in Nebraska.
"We are not quarantining anybody,” a CDC official told reporters on a call Saturday.
As of Saturday none of the 17 Americans aboard the cruise have tested positive for the hantavirus, according to CDC officials.
When asked if passengers will be tested, a CDC official said, "it is not recommended to test people that do not have symptoms."
Federal officials walked through their plan for the passengers.
Each passenger is set to be evaluated upon arrival in the U.S., and they may opt to go home and watch for any potential symptoms for 42 days while staying in touch with their state or local health departments, the officials said.
Officials may recommend that passengers doing home-based monitoring limit their activities outside the house to those that don't involve extensive interactions with other people.
Whilethe National Quarantine Unit in Nebraskawill be available to them, there are no plans to mandate quarantine, according to officials. The officials said they hope the passengers will be in Nebraska for a limited amount of time.
Spanish authorities preparing port area in Tenerife to receive passengers
Spanish authorities are preparing the port area in Tenerife to receive passengers with repatriation flights scheduled for the U.S., U.K., France, Germany, Belgium, Ireland and the Netherlands, according to Reuters.
"To assist those European Union countries that do not have air transport resources available, the European Civil Protection Mechanism has made two aircraft available, and the necessary flights for the transfer will be scheduled throughout the course of today, Saturday," Spanish Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska said at a press conference Saturday, according to Reuters.
"Disembarkation will be carried out in groups based on nationality, as the minister has stated. Only when the aircraft bound for a specific country is on the runway, ready to fly to that country, will nationals of that country be disembarked and taken there, using transport provided by the Spanish army," Grande-Marlaska said.
Vessel expected to arrive early Sunday local time
The vessel is expected to arrive in Tenerife and be anchored between 4:00 and 6:00 a.m. local time Sunday, according to the health ministry in Madrid.
Fourteen Spanish passengers will be the first to be transferred to the Port of Granadilla.
All passengers on M/V Hondius will began to evacuate within the next 24 hours
An official from the Canarias Region government said that all passengers on the MV Hondius will began to evacuate within the next 24 hours.
The officials said that the government's plan is to not allow any of the passengers to put members of the population into any type of risk.
If passenger is not ready to be transferred directly to airplane of their destination, then they will not be able to leave the vessel, the officials said.
Leaving by nationality, passengers will be transferred to the port wearing full protective equipment to avoid any contact with Canarias territory and they will be escorted by a few buses via TF1 route to the airport, which will take approximately 15 minutes to reach the airport.
CDC alerts US doctors and health departments to be aware of potential for imported hantavirus cases
The CDC is alerting doctors and health departments around the country to be aware of the potential for imported hantavirus cases from the cruise ship outbreak.
The agency notes that the risk of broad spread to the United States is considered extremely unlikely at this time.
There have been no confirmed hantavirus cases associated with the cruise ship in the U.S. and at least nine residents are being monitored across six states, but none have shown any signs of illness at this time.
The CDC’s advisory to doctors, via the Health Alert Network (HAN) system, reminds them that in the event of a potential hantavirus case, patients should be placed in an isolated room and health care providers should use a gown, gloves, eye protection and an N95 mask or higher level respirator.
Doctors should also consider hantavirus infections as a potential diagnosis if a patient presents with hantavirus symptoms as well as known contact with an infected individual, officials said.
California says 1 resident under monitoring after returning from cruise ship
The California Health Department says they are monitoring one former passenger of the cruise ship M/V Hondius for potential hantavirus infection.
"Local health officials are in contact with the one returned passenger," the department said in a news release. "At this time, public health protocol includes daily temperature checks and assessment for any symptoms consistent with hantavirus, and direction to modify activities."
The department said it was notified by federal officials that a second California resident is still on board the cruise ship.
There are at least nine U.S. residents under monitoring across six states
No U.S. residents under monitoring have shown any signs of illness at this time.
CDC deploys team to Canary Islands
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said it deployed a team earlier Friday to the Canary Islands, where the M/V Hondius is expected to dock in the coming days.
"The team will conduct an exposure risk assessment for each American passenger and provide recommendations for the level of monitoring required," the CDC said in a statement.
The American passengers will be evacuated on a U.S. government medical repatriation flight to Nebraska and transported to aquarantine centerat the University of Nebraska in Omaha, the CDC said.
Another CDC team will deploy to Offutt Air Force Base in Bellevue, Nebraska, to "support public health assessment of returning passengers," the agency said.
Situation on board ship is 'calm': Cruise company
Oceanwide Expeditions provided an update about the 87 guests and 60 crew member aboard the M/V Hondius Friday and said the situation on board "remains calm," as it heads to the Canary Islands.
The boat is scheduled to arrive early Sunday, but that timetable is subject to change, according to Oceanwide.
"Preparations regarding our point of arrival, quarantine and screening procedures for all guests, and the onward travel plans for all guests and affected crew are being led by organizations from a number of countries, including the WHO, RIVM, and Dutch authorities, in close cooperation with Spanish government authorities," Oceanwide said in a statement.
The cruise company provided a breakdown of the ship's passengers and crew and revealed there are 17 Americans aboard the ship.
What to know about Nebraska quarantine unit set to receive Americans from hantavirus-stricken ship
Several American passengers from the cruise ship associated with a suspected hantavirus cluster are set to arrive at a quarantine unit in Nebraska over the next few days. Here's what to know about the facility.
The National Quarantine Unit, managed by Nebraska Medicine and the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC), is the only federally funded quarantine unit in the U.S.
Its 20 single-occupancy rooms with en-suite bathrooms contain individual negative air pressure systems to safely house individuals exposed to highly hazardous communicable diseases,according to Nebraska Medicine and UNMC.
The rooms also contain exercise equipment and WiFi connectivity for patients requiring longer stays.
Nebraska Medicine and UNMC also manage the Nebraska Biocontainment Unit (NBU), which provides medical care to patients with highly hazardous communicable diseases.
“Unit personnel consists of a voluntary staff of select physicians, nursing, nursing assistants and respiratory therapists specially trained in high-level isolation and bio preparedness,” Nebraska Medicine and UNMC said on itswebsite.
The NBU was activated in 2014 to care for U.S. citizens affected by the Ebola outbreak and medically evacuated from Africa and during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 to care for U.S. citizens from Wuhan, China, and the Diamond Princess Cruise ship.
Nebraska quarantine unit says it's 'staffed and ready' to receive American passengers
The University of Nebraska, which hosts the quarantine facility the American cruise ship passengers are set to travel to, said Nebraska Medicine and the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) are coordinating with partners to receive the U.S. citizens.
The university said the National Quarantine Unit is the only federally funded quarantine unit in the U.S.
"We are prepared for situations exactly like this," Dr. Michael Ash, CEO of Nebraska Medicine, said in a statement. "Our teams have trained for decades alongside federal and state partners to make sure we can safely provide care while protecting our staff and the broader community. We are proud to support this national effort."
Nebraska Medical Center also houses the Nebraska Biocontainment Unit, a highly specialized facility meant to care for patients with "high-consequence infectious diseases," the university said.
Nebraska Medicine and UNMC treated patients during the 2014 Ebola outbreak and cared for some of the first Americans diagnosed with COVID-19 in 2020.
"We understand situations like this can raise questions," Ash said. "People should know these facilities were specifically designed to prevent exposure to the public. There is no risk to the community from people being cared for in these units."
In a statement released earlier on Thursday, the University of Nebraska said both units "are staffed and ready, if needed, to safely provide care while protecting our staff and the community."
WHO working to coordinate screening process for crew, passengers
Anais Legand, the technical officer with the World Health Organization, briefed the press Friday about the organization's efforts to screen the M/V Hondius' crew and passengers after the ship arrives in the Canary Islands.
Health teams will work with national authorities and each boat member will be assessed by trained medical staff, he said.
Epidemiologists will review individual exposure histories and interactions, according to Legand.
"So this is a way for us to get all the pieces together and have the maximum information to be able to assess any risk for this person and give them the right recommendation," he said.
CDC personnel to meet Americans on hantavirus-stricken ship
An official at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed to ABC News that the agency will be dispatching personnel to the Canary Islands, where the M/V Hondius -- the cruise ship at the center of a suspected hantavirus cluster -- is scheduled to arrive on Sunday.
Teams will then escort those Americans to the National Quarantine Unit in Nebraska.
Which states are monitoring potential hantavirus
No U.S. residents have experienced any signs of illness as of Friday morning, according to health officials. However, six states are tracking nine residents for possible hantavirus infections.
Health officials in Texas, New Jersey and Georgia are monitoring two people while officials in California, Virginia and Arizona say they each are monitoring one person.
2 New Jersey residents being monitored for hantavirus
Two New Jersey residents -- who were not passengers on the cruise ship M/V Hondius -- are being monitored for possible hantavirus infections.
The state's health department was notified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that the residents were potentially exposed to an infected cruise ship passenger during a flight. Neither individual is reporting symptoms.
This brings the total of U.S. residents under monitoring to at least nine across six states. None have shown any signs of illness at this time.
State Dept says it will arrange repatriation flight for Americans on ship
The State Department said Friday that it is in "direct communication with Americans on board" the Dutch cruise ship impacted by the hantavirus outbreak and "prepared to provide consular assistance as soon as the ship arrives in Tenerife, Spain."
The department added that it is arranging a repatriation flight to support the return of those American passengers.
The department said it was working in coordination with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the Spanish government to plan for the transport of those passengers.
Additionally, the department said it is still "closely tracking the hantavirus outbreak" on the MV Hondius and remains in "close contact" with the cruise ship staff and international health authorities.
New hantavirus case reported in Spain
A woman in the Spanish province of Alicante has tested positive for a hantavirus infection, secretary of state for health, Javier Padilla, told reporters on Friday, according to Reuters.
The unidentified patient was a passenger on the same flight as the woman who died in South Africa after leaving the ship, according to Padilla.
MV Hondius expected to arrive at Granadilla Port on Sunday by noon
The MV Hondius is now expected to arrive at Granadilla Port on Sunday by 12 p.m. local time, but could be delayed depending on weather conditions, officials said.
The ship will not dock upon arrival but will be anchored, and all passengers will be wearing hazmat gear as they are transferred by boat to the port, according to a statement from the Canarias Region government.
The passengers will then be transferred by a bus that is escorted by authorities to the airport where they will begin boarding aircraft by nationality with 23 nationalities on board in total, officials said.
The ride between Granadilla Port and Tenerife South Airport is expected to last approximately 15 minutes and officials said that passengers, as well as the vessel, will be completely isolated from Canarian people and not affect any local infrastructure.
