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Hantavirus live updates: 41 people under monitoring across US
Sixteen ship passengers are being monitored in Nebraska's quarantine unit.
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.
Sixteen American passengers arrived on Monday at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. Fifteen of those passengers were being monitored in a quarantine unit and another, who had initially tested positive, was in a biocontainment unit, officials said. Later, that person tested negative and was medically cleared to go to the quarantine unit.
Two other American passengers were flown to Atlanta for "further assessment and care," officials said.
Key Headlines
- 12 quarantined staff members at Dutch hospital were not contagious to others, hospital says
- 41 people under monitoring for hantavirus across US, CDC says
- All close contact patients in France test negative, health minister says
- 3 in Kansas taken to hospital for observation after being exposed to hantavirus abroad
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.
Vessel expected to arrive early Sunday local time
The vessel is expected to arrive in Tenerife and be anchored between 4:00 and 6:00 a.m. local time Sunday, according to the health ministry in Madrid.
Fourteen Spanish passengers will be the first to be transferred to the Port of Granadilla.
-ABC News' Aicha Elhammar
All passengers on M/V Hondius will began to evacuate within the next 24 hours
An official from the Canarias Region government said that all passengers on the MV Hondius will began to evacuate within the next 24 hours.
The officials said that the government's plan is to not allow any of the passengers to put members of the population into any type of risk.
If passenger is not ready to be transferred directly to airplane of their destination, then they will not be able to leave the vessel, the officials said.
Leaving by nationality, passengers will be transferred to the port wearing full protective equipment to avoid any contact with Canarias territory and they will be escorted by a few buses via TF1 route to the airport, which will take approximately 15 minutes to reach the airport.
-ABC News' Aicha El Hammar Castano
CDC alerts US doctors and health departments to be aware of potential for imported hantavirus cases
The CDC is alerting doctors and health departments around the country to be aware of the potential for imported hantavirus cases from the cruise ship outbreak.
The agency notes that the risk of broad spread to the United States is considered extremely unlikely at this time.
There have been no confirmed hantavirus cases associated with the cruise ship in the U.S. and at least nine residents are being monitored across six states, but none have shown any signs of illness at this time.
The CDC’s advisory to doctors, via the Health Alert Network (HAN) system, reminds them that in the event of a potential hantavirus case, patients should be placed in an isolated room and health care providers should use a gown, gloves, eye protection and an N95 mask or higher level respirator.
Doctors should also consider hantavirus infections as a potential diagnosis if a patient presents with hantavirus symptoms as well as known contact with an infected individual, officials said.
-ABC News' Youri Benadjaoud
California says 1 resident under monitoring after returning from cruise ship
The California Health Department says they are monitoring one former passenger of the cruise ship M/V Hondius for potential hantavirus infection.
"Local health officials are in contact with the one returned passenger," the department said in a news release. "At this time, public health protocol includes daily temperature checks and assessment for any symptoms consistent with hantavirus, and direction to modify activities."
The department said it was notified by federal officials that a second California resident is still on board the cruise ship.
There are at least nine U.S. residents under monitoring across six states
No U.S. residents under monitoring have shown any signs of illness at this time.