Seventeen Americans from the hantavirus-affected cruise ship MV Hondius are set to return to the US early Monday, landing first at a Nebraska Air Force base before transfer to the National Quarantine Center.
Repatriation Plan
They departed the ship in Tenerife, Canary Islands, via a US government medical flight arranged by the CDC and Health Department, following a deadly outbreak on the vessel.
Health Status
One American tested positive for hantavirus en route, with others under monitoring; they will undergo evaluation at the University of Nebraska Medical Center’s biocontainment unit in Omaha.
The U.S. passengers disembarked from the MV Hondius on May 10 after the ship was anchored near Tenerife, in Spain’s Canary Islands. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said a team of epidemiologists and medical professionals was sent to Spain to conduct exposure risk assessments for each U.S. passenger and provide recommendations for the level of monitoring required.
The plane carrying the U.S. passengers departed from Spain on Sunday evening local time, and the CDC said they will be flown to the Offutt Air Force Base in Omaha, Nebraska, before being transported to the National Quarantine Center at the University of Nebraska
There, Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, director of the National Institutes of Health, said the passengers will be checked for symptoms and given the option to quarantine at home with support and monitoring from local health officials.
The first day of evacuations ended on Sunday with a total of 94 passengers of 19 nationalities evacuated from the ship, Spanish Health Minister Mónica García said at a news conference. Passengers were taken from the ship to shore in small boats and transported to Tenerife airport in military buses, without coming into contact with the public, according to Reuters.
The operation has gone well and according to the plan,” García said at a news conference Sunday. The final evacuation flights are scheduled to depart on Monday.