Kamal Ghorui
One of the 17 American passengers evacuated from a cruise ship affected by a hantavirus outbreak has tested “mildly” positive for the virus, the US Department of Health and Human Services said on Sunday.“One passenger currently has mild symptoms and another passenger tested mildly PCR positive for the Andes virus,” the Department of Health and Human Services said.According to the department, both passengers travelled in the aircraft’s biocontainment units “out of an abundance of caution.”Officials said the passengers are being transported to a specialised facility in Nebraska, while the individual showing mild symptoms will be shifted to a separate centre.The American passengers were evacuated from Spain’s Canary Islands, where the cruise ship had docked, and landed at Eppley Airport in Omaha on Monday at around 2:30 am local time (0730 GMT), as reported by several US media outlets, including CNN.Upon arrival, “each person will undergo clinical assessment and receive appropriate care and support based on their condition,” the health agency added.Three passengers aboard the MV Hondius have died, while several others have fallen ill due to the rare rodent-borne disease.
