3 New Yorkers among 18 quarantined after deadly hantavirus outbreak on cruise ship
Three New Yorkers are among the 18 people being quarantined in Nebraska and Atlanta due to hantavirus concerns.
The three were passengers on the MV Hondius cruise ship, which was hit with a deadly outbreak of the disease.
"The risk to New Yorkers remains extremely low"
One of the three is from New York City, another is from Westchester County, and the third is from Orange County. They are being monitored at the University of Nebraska Medical Center.
We do not know the conditions of the New Yorkers. Health officials have said only one of the 18 Americans has tested positive, and that person was separated from the others as they traveled back home.
Gov. Kathy Hochul says there's no reason to be concerned, but the state is putting together a plan.
"We don't know whether those individuals will be returning to New York," Hochul said. "I believe there's a 42-day monitoring period, and they can decide whether they want to do that in Nebraska or come back and make other accommodations."
"I would say for New Yorkers this is a low risk at this time, and we're asking, yes, New Yorkers to stay up to date on this, but also to be aware of our assessment and that's an assessment based on the fact that there are three New York state residents who have just arrived back in Nebraska who will go through the precautionary period. We're in constant communication with the CDC, with the governor's team, as well as the health departments, not just our own city government but also at the state level," New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said.
Boston native and Orange County, N.Y. native Jake Rosmarin posted on Instragram that he is one of the 18 Americans who returned to the U.S. Monday. From a quarantine room in Nebraska, he said, in part, "I'm okay and feeling well."
"All three are expected to be subject to a 42-day monitoring period," New York City Health Commissioner Dr. Alister Martin said.
"The NYC Health Department is working in close coordination with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the New York State Department of Health, and other local health departments to monitor the situation. At this point we do not know how long these individuals will stay in Nebraska and whether or when those individuals will return to New York," Martin said. "Currently the risk to New Yorkers remains extremely low. We will keep New Yorkers informed as we monitor and respond to the situation."
"We are closely monitoring the situation and working with the CDC and local health departments," New York State Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald said. "At this point, it is important to emphasize that there is no immediate risk to the public. We will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates as needed."
At least 10 confirmed or suspected cases worldwide so far
None of the three New Yorkers are showing any hantavirus symptoms.
Officials said one of the 18 people who arrived back in the U.S. "tested mildly PCR positive for the Andes virus," but that person also wasn't experiencing symptoms. Two of the 18 people returned to the U.S. were flown to Atlanta, where the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is located.
So far, there have been at least 10 confirmed or suspected cases of hantavirus connected to the MV Hondius outbreak, including three deaths. There were nearly 150 people on board the ship, including the three New Yorkers.
New Jersey health officials said two residents there may have been exposed to someone who was infected with the hantavirus on a plane.
Various officials have repeatedly emphasized the risk to the general public is low, and the hantavirus outbreak on the ship is nothing like COVID.
"It's not like COVID-19"
Hantaviruses are a family of rare viruses passed to humans through contact with contaminated rodent waste or saliva. They often present with symptoms of pulmonary and respiratory distress that can be severe. Health officials say human-to-human transmission is rare, and occurs through prolonged close contact.
"It's not like COVID-19. Here you basically have to be in contact with something contaminated by body fluids of someone who's infected with virus, or inhales the virus," said Dr. Bruce Y. Lee, professor of health policy at CUNY School of Public Health. "We're talking hours, and potentially days ... they have to be either contacting with each other, or with in several feet of each other, or touching the possessions of the other person."
"We have this under control and we're not worried about it," Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. said.
In Germany, evacuated citizens are quarantined at a Frankfurt Hospital. In the Netherlands, evacuees were escorted home to quarantine. Jets also carried people back to Canada, the U.K. and France. A French woman tested positive, and officials said her condition is deteriorating.
