U.S. State Department Flies 18 Hantavirus-Exposed Cruise Passengers to Nebraska for 42-Day Quarantine
Updated
Updated · Fox News · May 18
U.S. State Department Flies 18 Hantavirus-Exposed Cruise Passengers to Nebraska for 42-Day Quarantine
13 articles · Updated · Fox News · May 18
Eighteen U.S. cruise passengers exposed to the Andes strain of hantavirus were flown from Tenerife to Nebraska, with 15 sent to the National Quarantine Unit and one initially placed in biocontainment after a weak positive test.
Two others continued to Emory for quarantine and biocontainment, as the State Department used a modified Boeing 747 equipped with 23,000-pound isolation canisters and onboard medical teams.
Dr. David Brett-Major of the University of Nebraska Medical Center said the flight had no "unmanaged surprises," with staff using different levels of protective gear to balance safety and patient contact.
The quarantine is expected to last 42 days, underscoring concerns not just about infection control but also the mental strain of five weeks in isolation for exposed passengers.
Did this flawless hantavirus rescue expose a fatal flaw in U.S. pandemic readiness?
With a 50% fatality rate, is the Andes hantavirus more transmissible than experts claim?