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Hantavirus live updates: WHO hunts for source of virus
The overall public risk remains low, the WHO said.
The total number of confirmed and probable cases of hantavirus of those who were onboard the MV Hondius cruise ship stands at 10, including two people confirmed to have died from the virus and one person who remains suspected to have died from the virus.
No cases of Andes hantavirus have been confirmed in the U.S. The eighteen American ship passengers are being monitored at the quarantine unit at the University of Nebraska Medical Center.
Key Headlines
- 2 cruise ship passengers originally in Atlanta now at Nebraska quarantine facility
- Suspected hantavirus case at upstate New York high school, not linked to cruise ship
- US has no cases of Andes hantavirus
- WHO hunts for hantavirus source
- American doctor who initially tested positive says further testing shows 'no evidence that I've had hantavirus'
What is hantavirus and how does it spread?
Here's what you need to know about hantavirus including what it is, how it spreads, how it's treated and if there are any prevention methods:
What is hantavirus?
Hantaviruses are a family of viruses that can cause serious illnesses and death, according to the CDC.
How does hantavirus spread?
Hantaviruses may also spread from person to person, but that also is rare and only suspected for one subtype from South America, according to the WHO.
Read more about hantavirus here.
Minnesota monitoring person 'potentially exposed' to hantavirus, Health Department says
The Minnesota Department of Health said it’s monitoring the condition of a person who "may have briefly been exposed overseas" to another person who tested positive for hantavirus after being on board the MV Hondius.
"MDH is in contact with the person who was exposed," the department said in a statement on Tuesday. "They have been very cooperative, and we are monitoring them daily for symptoms. The person does not currently have symptoms. MDH will not release any additional information on the person to protect their privacy."
-ABC News’ Jessica Gorman
Potential hantavirus case in Illinois not related to ship outbreak, health officials say
The Illinois Department of Health said Tuesday it is investigating a potential case of hantavirus in a Winnebago County resident that is not connected to the MV Hondius outbreak.
"The resident lives in Winnebago County, has not travelled internationally, and has not come in contact with individuals associated with the MV Hondius outbreak," the health department said in a statement. "They are suspected to have acquired a North American strain of the virus while cleaning a home where rodent droppings were present."
The individual experienced mild symptoms and did not require hospitalization. The health department said it is working with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on additional testing to confirm if it is a hantavirus case.
Unlike the strain of hantavirus in the cruise outbreak, the North American strains are not known to spread from person-to-person, health officials said.
American quarantining in Nebraska shares video tour of his room
Jake Rosmarin, who is among the 15 hantavirus-negative passengers quarantining at the University of Nebraska Medical Center after disembarking the MV Hondius cruise ship, shared a video tour of his room on Instagram on Tuesday.
Rosmarin showed off his stationary bike, TV, bed, recliner and desk, saying, “The room is very spacious and comfortable.”
“I’m hoping to give more updates while I’m here. I’m feeling well,” he said.
Rosmarin told ABC News earlier on Tuesday that he is not experiencing any symptoms and plans on remaining in quarantine for the next 42 days.
"I think that is the best decision that's for me and for my family, and I know that here, I'm in the best care possible," Rosmarin said.
Passengers in Nebraska undergoing in-depth interviews, symptom monitoring
Fifteen passengers remain in the quarantine unit and one person remains in the biocontainment unit at Nebraska Medicine, hospital officials said.
The passengers are undergoing in-depth interviews to trace their contacts as well as regular symptom monitoring, officials said.