Virginia monitoring traveler linked to Hantavirus-hit cruise ship, says resident is low-risk
May 7 (Reuters) – The Virginia Department of Health said on Thursday it was keeping an eye on a resident who recently returned from a cruise ship that has been linked to a deadly Hantavirus outbreak.
The person was on the MV Hondius, a Dutch-flagged expedition ship that is at the center of the international public health response after multiple cases of the rare virus were detected on board.
• The Ministry said that the person is in good health and poses a low risk to the public.
• The traveler returned to Virginia and is under public health surveillance, authorities said.
• Hantavirus is usually spread through contact with infected rodents, and human-to-human transmission is rare.
• State officials said fewer than 30 U.S. citizens were on the ship, and a small number of Virginia residents who were likely exposed could be identified in the coming days.
• “Generally speaking, we believe the risk to the public is low,” the department said, noting that it is working closely with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and local health agencies.
• As authorities investigate the spread of the virus, the World Health Organization reports at least eight suspected or confirmed cases linked to the ship; these included three deaths.
(Reporting by Padmanabhan Ananthan in Bengaluru; Editing by Jonathan Ananda)
