Hantavirus outbreak: Andes virus strain may spread more easily than previously expected

追加: 2026-05-18

[00:00:00]Health experts across four continents are still tracking down and monitoring passengers who disembarked from a cruise ship that was hit by the hantavirus outbreak. Many of those passengers left before the outbreak turned deadly. The last remaining travelers are now off that ship and they boarded flights to more than 20 countries where they're going to be entering quarantine. ABC's Danny New is in New York with the latest.

[00:00:22]Today, with US passengers from that luxury cruise ship now in quarantine, growing concern around questions being raised that the Andes variation of the hantavirus may spread more easily than previously thought.

[00:00:32]>> What you're seeing emerging evidence, for instance, in conversations that several colleagues had with the doctor on the ship who said that at least three of the people who got infected did not have close contact and they may have had just casual contact sitting next to somebody for half an hour at a meal. 16 passengers are being assessed over the next few days at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. The first American to test positive getting treated inside the bio-containment unit there. One of the quarantine passengers in Nebraska is travel blogger Jake Merritt whose posts aboard the ship reached millions on social media. We're not just a story.

[00:01:05]We're not just headlines.

[00:01:08]We're people. Today, he spoke with Good Morning America during the start of his 42-day quarantine. I was relieved to get off the ship and have a plan in place and they're treating us really really well here, so I can't ask for anything more than that.

[00:01:22]The Boston resident says he plans to fulfill the full 42 days in quarantine and that so far he does not feel any symptoms. It was a long stressful travel day. I spent most of yesterday just, you know, reaching out to family and friends over FaceTime and calling and just, you know, letting them know I'm okay and and in good spirits.

[00:01:39]Two other Americans, a couple, have been flown to Emory University in Atlanta after one of them started showing symptoms. Meanwhile, at least five other states are being monitored with 11 cases reported worldwide. Three people have died. In New York, Danny New, Channel 6 Action News.