Passengers Will Disembark Sunday-Including US Travelers Who Tested Negative (Live Updates)

Key Points:

• Passengers aboard the hantavirus-affected MV Hondius cruise ship are set to be evacuated under WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus's supervision, with travelers returning to their home countries where quarantine and monitoring protocols vary.
• The outbreak involves the Andes strain of hantavirus, known for person-to-person transmission through close contact, with confirmed and suspected cases among passengers from multiple countries; the total onboard is nearly 150 people from 23 nations.
• U.S. passengers testing negative will not face forced quarantine but will be monitored for 42 days, while other countries like Spain have plans for voluntary or enforced quarantine; several patients have been medically evacuated for treatment.
• The WHO and health experts emphasize the outbreak's low public health risk but acknowledge the possibility of more cases due to the virus's incubation period; ongoing contact tracing and daily health assessments are in place.
• There is no specific treatment or vaccine currently available for hantavirus, and misinformation about treatments like ivermectin has been refuted by medical professionals; international efforts are underway to develop a vaccine.