PERSON ON HANTAVIRUS-INFECTED CRUISE SHIP RETURNS HOME TO VIRGINIA

Added: 2026-05-10

[00:00:04]Well, this morning work is still underway to contain a deadly honorus outbreak on board this cruise ship.

[00:00:10]Three passengers have died. Several others are sick.

[00:00:13]>> Yeah, more than a hundred passengers remain on that ship, but several have left and are now back home in the US. 7 News is on your side with team coverage.

[00:00:20]Lena Golden is live with what we're learning about one of those passengers that's now back in Virginia. But we start with John Rogers at the alert desk. So John, the ship is on the move this morning.

[00:00:29]>> Certainly is, Adam. As we speak, the Hondas is on its way to Spain's Canary Islands where it is expected to arrive sometime around noon on Sunday. So I want to break down some of the latest on what we're finding out about the ship right now. So all told, at the moment, there is about 140 people on board that ship. Uh no one will be allowed to disembark unless they are on their way to the airport. And even then, there will be some really strict social isolation guidelines in place to make sure they're not exposing this illness to people uh in the public. In all, there are about uh five infections confirmed aboard the ship. 23 different countries were represented on board. So, health authorities across the globe are trying to trace and contain this outbreak. Argentinian authorities are working to trap and test rodents in areas linked to where this infection may have started. The World Health Organization is stressing that this is not the same as the CO pandemic. It was only spread throughout the ship.

[00:01:26]>> Well, health officials say a Virginia resident was on that ship and our team coverage continues now with Lyanna Golden. So, Lyanna, what do we know about that person?

[00:01:36]>> Well, Adriana, good morning. We're told that they are home and healthy. State officials did not specify their exact name or location, of course, for privacy reasons, but we know they are being monitored for any symptoms.

[00:01:48]Our understanding from the passengers on the ship is that there's a small number of Virginiaians who are still on the ship and so you know we're working with with authorities and other officials uh to coordinate uh their return. Our estimates it's a small number so don't want to say specifically but you know we're saying less than five is what we've we've identified and so that's what we're preparing for.

[00:02:11]Now, symptoms can initially resemble the flu and they may include fever, fatigue, and muscle aches before progressing to possibly more severe respiratory illnesses. It is an extremely rare disease. From 1993 to 2023, the CDC says that only 890 cases of haunt virus are reported in the US, most of them coming out of western states. So, as John mentioned, you guys, the WHO says that the overall risk here is considerably low, and that's because officials say you need to have close contact with an infected person to catch HANA virus, unlike the very easy transmission of CO.

[00:02:47]Reporting live this morning, I'm Lyanna Golden, 7 News.

[00:02:50]>> Now, a deadly illness outbreak on this cruise ship in the Atlantic Ocean.

[00:02:54]Dozens of passengers are currently quarantined, but some have been allowed to return home, including a Virginia resident. State health officials did not reveal a location, but say the person is being monitored and is in good health.

[00:03:10]>> Our understanding from the passengers on the ship is that there's a small number of Virginiaians who are still on the ship. And so, you know, we're working with with authorities and other officials uh to coordinate uh their return. Our estimates it's a small number. So, don't want to say specifically, but you know, we're saying less than five is what we've we've identified. And so, that's what we're preparing for.

[00:03:31]>> That illness is called the HT virus and typically comes from rodents. Our Jasmine Styles is over at the alert desk tracking the troubled ship's journey, which isn't over yet. Still hasn't reached port tonight.

[00:03:43]>> Yes, Scott. Spain is preparing to receive more than 100 passengers on the MVHandas on Sunday. After departing from Cape Verde, Africa, the ship is due to dock in an isolated area of the Canary Islands. The country's head of emergencies and civil protection said they will board isolated cars and head to a cordon off part of the airport.

[00:04:02]Then they'll depart to their home countries. Officials say none of the public will come in contact with those passengers. Spain says US officials told them that they are willing to send a plane to get the 17 American passengers.

[00:04:15]There are six confirmed hentto virus cases associated with the ship and six suspected cases. Three people have died.

[00:04:23]New this morning, authorities are scrambling to track down more passengers from a cruise ship hit by a deadly hanta virus outbreak. The national news desks.

[00:04:32]Angela Brown joins us right now with more on this. And Angela, Dutch authorities now revealing about 40 passengers left that ship after the first victim died.

[00:04:41]>> Interesting, right? Yeah, this came out maybe around a few hours ago. Jan, Dutch officials saying roughly 40 passengers got off on a remote island in the South Atlantic, St. Helena near Africa. The cruise company never apparently disco disclosed this information until now.

[00:04:55]Now, the people who got off included the wife of a man who died. She later died herself in South Africa. Now, authorities in South Africa and also Europe are tracing the contacts of people who got off that ship. And as these cases grow, of course, attention is growing as well. So, there are a lot of questions about what the Hivirus is and who is at risk. Now, hivirus is a rare deadly virus primarily spread through contact with infected rodents, either through droppings or maybe even saliva. The disease gained attention last year after the wife of late actor Gene Hackman died from the virus. Now, it's back in the spotlight after the WHO says passengers on that cruise ship may have been infected. That cruise ship is now heading toward Spain's Canary Islands.

[00:05:36]>> This was an expedition boat and many of the people on board were doing bird watching. They were doing, you know, a lot of things with with wildlife. Um so our assumption is they were infected off the boat um and then joined the crews.

[00:05:48]We do know that some of the cases have had very close contact with each other and certainly humanto human transmission can't be ruled out.

[00:05:55]>> Well, South African health officials have confirmed the Andes strain of the antivirus in at least two passengers.

[00:06:01]That is the one strain known to pass between humans through close contact.

[00:06:06]Now health officials are now monitoring.

[00:06:08]We're learning people in three states, California, Georgia, and Arizona for possible infection after traveling on that cruise ship. None have shown any symptoms so far. The CDC says the risk uh to American public to us right now is extremely low. Now, three people have died in the outbreak. Two Dutch nationals and a German citizen. The WHO says the number of confirmed cases though has risen to five, but I think there's eight suspected cases overall.

[00:06:30]>> Right. Health officials from the US to Singapore are monitoring the spread of Hanta virus after a cruise ship outbreak. Ryan Smith at the live desk with the states now monitoring passengers. Ryan?

[00:06:42]>> Yeah, DD. Health authorities worldwide right now racing to trace and contain that deadly outbreak of haunt virus. The World Health Organization now confirms today there are five infections connected to that cruise ship MV Hondas.

[00:06:57]Now, three people have died from that outbreak. Top health officials though now stressing that the overall risk right now tonight to the public well that still remains incredibly low but more cases of this are likely >> given the incubation period of the and virus which can be up to six weeks it's possible that more cases may be reported while this is a serious incident who assesses the public health risk as Low >> health officials in five states on your screen here, Texas, California, Virginia, Georgia, and Arizona. They are now monitoring several people, including at least three who had returned home from that cruise ship. Now, the Andes strain of the HA virus is rare but serious. And that virus can spread between humans through constant close contact. It's typically contracted by inhaling infected rodent droppings or urine. Now, symptoms here can include fever, fatigue, difficulty breathing, and gastrointestinal issues. In more serious cases, the virus can affect vital organs. Now, health experts say there is no cure. And fatality rates for those who develop the more serious symptoms here, well, those stand between 30 to 40% of it being deadly.

[00:08:19]>> And this H virus outbreak was weeks in the making, according to global health officials. As you take a look at your screen right here, on April 1st, the MV Hondas departed Argentina. 5 days later, the first passenger, a 70-year-old man, got sick. Another 5 days later, he died on board. On April 24th, his body is removed from the ship at the island of St. Helena. His 69year-old wife flies to South Africa where she died two days later. On April 27th, a third passenger got sick and is evacuated to South Africa. Nearly a week later, on May 2nd, a woman with symptoms dies on board the ship. Then this past Sunday, the ship arrived in Cape Verie where the WH said it was reacting to a suspected honor outbreak.