2 hantavirus patients arrive at Emory Hospital in Atlanta
FOX 5 Atlanta • • general
Key Points:
- Two Georgia residents who were aboard the M/V Hondius cruise ship linked to a hantavirus outbreak have returned to the state and are asymptomatic, following CDC guidance.
- Two additional passengers who tested positive for hantavirus arrived in Atlanta via special flight and were transported to Emory University Hospital's Serious Communicable Diseases Unit for treatment.
- The hantavirus outbreak on the M/V Hondius is connected to the Andes strain, likely originating from exposure to infected rodent droppings during a birdwatching excursion in Argentina before the cruise.
- More than a dozen Americans affected by the outbreak were flown to a national quarantine unit in Omaha, with federal and state health officials closely monitoring the situation and coordinating with the CDC.
- The World Health Organization recommends 42 days of active monitoring for returning passengers, while authorities emphasize that the risk to the general public remains low.