US sending charter flight to bring Americans home from hantavirus cruise ship

Key Points:

• The US is sending a charter aircraft and CDC staff to repatriate 17 American passengers remaining on the MV Hondius cruise ship, where a hantavirus outbreak has killed three people and infected several others.
• At least six US states, including Georgia, Texas, Virginia, Arizona, and California, are monitoring passengers for possible hantavirus infections after some returned from the cruise.
• The CDC has classified the outbreak as a "Level 3" emergency response and is coordinating quarantine efforts in Nebraska, where passengers will be transported to a quarantine center at the University of Nebraska, Omaha.
• The outbreak is believed to be linked to rodent exposure, with the virus spreading through close contact and contaminated air, but the WHO says it is unlikely to become a pandemic like Covid-19.
• The response comes amid concerns about recent staffing cuts at US health agencies, including the CDC, which saw significant layoffs under the Trump administration.