US Ends Hantavirus Response, No Domestic Cases Reported

Los Angeles (ANTARA) - The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced on Wednesday (24/6) the end of the public health response to a Hantavirus exposure incident linked to the cruise ship M/V Hondius, with no confirmed cases reported in the US. According to the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the final 42-day monitoring period concluded on 21 June, and no individuals in the country remain under public health surveillance related to the event. HHS stated that federal, state, and local health authorities collaborated to identify potentially exposed individuals, conduct medical monitoring, provide clinical guidance, and prepare healthcare systems for a possible response. No sustained transmission of the virus occurred in the US during the monitoring period. According to the CDC, 18 US passengers who were potentially exposed were repatriated from the M/V Hondius in May and placed under public health monitoring. All 18 individuals completed the monitoring period with no confirmed infections. The outbreak was linked to the Andes virus, a strain of hantavirus capable of limited person-to-person transmission. The CDC stated that the overall risk to the US public remained low throughout the response. “The successful completion of this response demonstrates strong coordination against infectious disease threats that occur beyond our borders,” said Jay Bhattacharya, acting director of the US CDC.