MV Hondius passenger tests positive for hantavirus - with NO symptoms

One of the 17 American passengers evacuated froma cruise shipin the Canary Islands has tested positive for the hantavirus but is not displaying any symptoms, US health officials confirmed late on Sunday.

The charter flight was carrying 17 Americans who had been evacuated from the MV Hondius following itsarrival in Tenerife, the largest island in the Spanish archipelago situated off the West African coast. The aircraft was expected to touch down in Omaha, Nebraska, in the early hours of Monday.

The Americans were to be initially flown to the University of Nebraska, which operates a federally funded quarantine facility, in order to determine whether they had been in close contact with any symptomatic individuals and to evaluate their risk of transmitting the virus.

"One passenger will be transported to the Nebraska Biocontainment Unit upon arrival, while other passengers will go to the National Quarantine Unit for assessment and monitoring. The passenger who is going to the Biocontainment Unit tested positive for the virus but does not have symptoms," said Kayla Thomas, a spokesperson for The Nebraska Medical Center.

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The MV Hondius docked in Tenerife on Sunday morning, with Spanish authorities beginning the evacuation of the cruise liner by nationality, ferrying passengers to port aboard smaller vessels.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) stated its goal was to complete the full evacuation of the ship, with the exception of 30 crew members remaining on board, by 7pm on Monday.

Travellers were told to leave their belongings on board and were only allowed to carry a small bag containing essential items such as their phone and passport.

Director-General of the World Health Organization Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus confirmed late last night on X: "Most passengers and crew of the MV Hondius cruise ship successfully disembarked today."

Source: Daily Express :: World Feed