A U.S. citizen evacuated from the hantavirus-hit luxury cruise ship MV Hondius has tested mildly positive for the Andes strain of the virus, while another American passenger is showing mild symptoms, U.S. health officials said, as countries including Australia, France, Spain and the Netherlands stepped up evacuation and quarantine efforts.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) said all 17 Americans aboard the Dutch-flagged vessel were being airlifted to the United States. The two symptomatic passengers are travelling in the aircraft's biocontainment units. The second passenger has not yet been confirmed to have contracted the virus.
US passengers moved to specialised treatment centres
The U.S. State Department airlift will transport passengers to the ASPR Regional Emerging Special Pathogen Treatment Center (RESPTC) at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, Nebraska, while the symptomatic passenger will be taken to a second RESPTC facility, HHS said.
"On arrival at the facilities, each individual will undergo clinical assessment and receive care based on their condition," HHS added.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), eight people linked to the ship have fallen ill, with six confirmed hantavirus cases. Three people — a Dutch couple and a German national — have died.
The Andes strain of hantavirus identified in the outbreak can cause severe lung illness and may be fatal in up to 50% of cases, according to the WHO.
Australia prepares evacuation and quarantine
Australia said on Monday it would charter a flight to evacuate its citizens from the ship, with quarantine arrangements being prepared for their arrival.
Environment Minister Murray Watt said four Australians, one Tenerife resident and one New Zealand resident would be repatriated.
"This is being done via an Australian government-supported flight, and we expect those people to return to Australia soon," Watt told reporters in Canberra.
"Quarantine arrangements are being finalised as we speak with the states and territories."
Officials did not confirm whether any of those returning to Australia had shown symptoms of the virus.
New Zealand's Director of Public Health Corina Grey said the country was prepared to support quarantine measures if required.
WHO urges calm amid quarantine recommendations
The WHO has recommended a 42-day quarantine period for all passengers from the vessel. However, health experts stressed that the virus is significantly less contagious than COVID-19 and poses a relatively low public health risk.
Hantaviruses are typically spread through rodents, though rare cases of person-to-person transmission have been recorded through close contact.
The outbreak was first detected on May 2 in Johannesburg after a British passenger fell ill, 21 days after another traveller aboard the ship had died.
Cruise ship anchored near Tenerife
The MV Hondius is currently anchored near Tenerife in Spain's Canary Islands after sailing from Argentina across the South Atlantic toward Cape Verde.
Spain, France and the United States have already evacuated citizens from the ship, while Australia and the Netherlands were expected to conduct their final evacuation flights on Monday afternoon local time, according to Spanish health authorities.