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OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Five of the 18 American cruise ship passengers who have been staying at a national quarantine facility in Nebraska after being exposed
to hantavirus are going home, U.S. health officials said Monday. The five people will complete their monitoring at home after remaining symptom-free and meeting criteria for monitoring outside the quarantine unit at the University of Nebraska Medical Center.
They are leaving Omaha about three weeks after they and the 13 other Americans arrived in Nebraska following a deadly outbreak of hantavirus on a cruise ship traveling in the South Atlantic Ocean.Hantaviruses typically spread when people inhale contaminated residue from rodent droppings, but the hantavirus responsible for the current outbreak, known as the Andes virus, may rarely spread between individuals. A total of 13 confirmed or probable hantavirus cases, including three deaths, have been linked to the ship, according to the World Health Organization.
No cases of the Andes virus have been confirmed in the U.S., and health officials maintain that the risk to the public remains low. None of the U.S. passengers has exhibited any symptoms, a spokesperson for Nebraska Medicine stated Monday.
Symptoms of hantavirus can take as long as 42 days to manifest in previous outbreaks; however, medical experts indicate that most individuals who develop symptoms do so within 21 days. The doctors in Omaha monitoring the passengers previously indicated they would work with each individual to determine if it was appropriate for them to return home to complete their recommended 42-day quarantine period.
Federal officials coordinated travel for the five individuals returning home in collaboration with state and local authorities. Officials confirmed that this travel would not occur on commercial flights, implementing appropriate biocontainment measures. State health departments will continue daily symptom monitoring, maintain 24/7 oversight, and provide guidance.
Two of the individuals returning to their homes reside outside New York City, as noted by city Health Commissioner Dr. Alister Martin. One of the remaining passengers, Jake Rosmarin, shared on his blog Sunday that he intends to remain at the Omaha unit for his final three weeks of quarantine, citing the immediate access to care should he become ill and his desire to avoid exposing anyone else unnecessarily.
Rosmarin, who provides daily updates about his experience, expressed that he does not judge those who opted to go home. He stated, “For me personally, this experience has been incredibly traumatic. I don’t think I’ve fully processed everything yet, and right now I don’t want to leave until I know there is no risk of me getting sick or putting my family, friends, or the general public at risk.”
Not all individuals quarantined in Nebraska have been content with the situation. Approximately a week after the 18 passengers arrived, U.S. health officials issued quarantine orders that compelled two passengers who wished to leave to remain in the facility.
