U.S. health officials are organizing a charter evacuation flight to bring American passengers home from a cruise ship linked to a deadly hantavirus outbreak that has already claimed three lives and sickened several others.
According to health authorities, passengers from the Dutch-operated expedition vessel MV Hondius have already returned to multiple states across the country, prompting monitoring efforts in at least six states for possible infections connected to the voyage.
The outbreak has triggered an emergency response from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which classified the incident as a Level 3 activation — the agency’s lowest emergency response level, but still significant enough to mobilize federal resources.
The luxury expedition cruise, operated by Oceanwide Expeditions, departed from Ushuaia on April 1 and is scheduled to arrive in the Canary Islands on May 10.
Federal officials announced that CDC personnel are being dispatched to the Canary Islands to assist with the safe return of American travelers. Once evacuated, the passengers are expected to board a U.S. government-chartered medical repatriation flight bound for an Air Force installation in Omaha.
Health experts are also preparing quarantine and monitoring procedures in Nebraska as part of the federal containment effort.
“The safe return of American citizens remains the top priority,” the CDC said in a statement regarding the operation.
Hantavirus is a rare but potentially deadly disease typically spread through exposure to infected rodent droppings, urine, or saliva. Symptoms can initially resemble the flu before progressing into severe respiratory complications in some cases.
Authorities continue investigating how the outbreak spread aboard the vessel while monitoring passengers and crew for additional infections.
By the Midtown Times Staff
