Three Utahns Quarantined With Hantavirus in Nebraska

Three of the 18 travelers brought back to the United States after a deadly hantavirus outbreak on the MV Hondius cruise ship are from Utah, and they are now in quarantine in Nebraska. Utah health officials have not released their names, but reports are that Utahns were among the passengers transported back after exposure on the ship. Once they are cleared to return home to the Beehive State, officials say they will be monitored daily for six weeks for symptoms.

THREE DEATHS BLAMED FOR THE VIRUS

The outbreak has already turned deadly. The Associated Press reports three cruise ship passengers died, while other confirmed or suspected cases are being monitored. Sixteen of the evacuated American passengers were taken to the University of Nebraska Medical Center, which has a federally funded quarantine facility and biocontainment unit, while two others were taken to Emory University Hospital in Atlanta.

AMERICAN STRAIN

For Utahns, the word “hantavirus” usually brings to mind cabins, sheds, garages, and deer mice. That version of the risk is familiar across the rural West: people can become infected after breathing dust contaminated with rodent urine, droppings or saliva. The CDC says hantavirus infections are most often linked to exposure to infected rodents, especially when droppings or nesting material are stirred up during cleaning.

THE ANDES STRAIN

But this cruise ship outbreak appears different because health officials are focusing on the Andes virus, a type of hantavirus found in South America. The CDC says Andes virus is the only hantavirus known to spread from person to person, though that kind of transmission is usually limited to close contact with someone who is ill, including direct physical contact or prolonged time in enclosed spaces.

NOT A COVID-STYLE THREAT

That is the key contrast: the hantavirus Utahns normally hear about is primarily a rodent-dropping exposure problem, while Andes virus adds the rare possibility of limited human-to-human spread. It is still not considered another COVID-style threat. The World Health Organization’s director-general said the public risk is low, and health officials continue to stress that the virus does not spread easily between people.

LISTEN HERE: DR. DAVID BLODGETT EXPLAINS THE TWO STRAINS

Still, the long monitoring period matters. Symptoms can take weeks to appear and may begin like the flu: fever, chills, and muscle aches — before turning into serious breathing problems. For the three Utah passengers, quarantine in Nebraska is a precaution, but it is also a reminder that rare diseases can travel far beyond where they first emerge.