Cruise ship passenger making best of quarantine in US after hantavirus outbreak
The Guardian • • general
Key Points:
- Jake Rosmarin, along with 17 other Americans, is under quarantine at specialized healthcare facilities after a hantavirus outbreak on the MV Hondius resulted in three deaths and multiple illnesses among passengers.
- Rosmarin is quarantined at the University of Nebraska Medical Center’s national quarantine unit for an expected 42 days, while others are in biocontainment units in Nebraska and Georgia.
- The hantavirus strain involved, Andes virus, can rarely spread between people, though public health officials say the risk of wider transmission is very low and quarantines are precautionary.
- Rosmarin described life in quarantine as comfortable but isolating, with limited contact and strict protective measures, while reflecting on the unique wildlife and strict biosecurity protocols experienced during the expedition cruise.
- The outbreak was only identified on the last night before disembarkation, extending the originally planned 35-day trip and leaving passengers stranded until they could be safely quarantined.