At least one Utahn is aboard a cruise ship that experienced an outbreak of hantavirus, state officials said late Friday.
The person, who was not identified in the news release from the Utah Department of Health and Human Services, is among the 17 U.S. citizens who remain on the ship. The outbreak occurred on the MV Hondius, and the illness has killed three passengers while four others have been infected, according to The Associated Press.
The person aboard the ship is expected to disembark in the Canary Islands within the next few days, and federal officials will escort them to the National Quarantine Unit in Nebraska, according to the release. It’s unknown if the person has had any contact with a sick person while aboard the ship, but state health officials will coordinate with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention before the passenger returns to the Beehive State.
“A timeline for their return has not been decided,“ Utah health officials said in the release. ”Following their return, state health officials will monitor their symptoms for any signs of a possible illness. DHHS will not release additional personal details about the passengers in order to protect their privacy.“
Hantaviruses are usually spread through contact with wild rodent droppings or urine, according to the news release. The strain in the cruise ship outbreak, the Andes virus, can spread from person to person “in limited circumstances,” but typically requires “close, prolonged contact” with a person who is actively sick with the disease.
There have been no documented cases where an infected person without symptoms spread hantavirus to someone else, according to the release.
Jordan is a breaking news reporter at The Tribune. She graduated from the University of Oklahoma and has written for the Houston Chronicle along with the Enid News & Eagle. When she's not reporting, she loves watching football, reading books and painting.