90-Second Read: Americans from Hantavirus-hit cruise ship arrive in U.S., including 1 who tested positive, another with symptoms

An American on the repatriation flight began showing symptoms of Hantavirus and another "tested mildly PCR positive for the Andes virus," the Department of Health and Human Services says. There have been at least 10 confirmed or suspected cases of Hantavirus linked to the outbreak on the ship, the MV Hondius, including three fatalities: A Dutch couple and a German woman. Patients involved in the Hantavirus outbreak have tested positive for the Andes strain, which can be transmitted from person to person. The passenger who tested positive was not experiencing symptoms, according to a statement from the University of Nebraska Medical Center.

The country's health minister later told France Inter radio the woman tested positive for Hantavirus and her condition has deteriorated. The MV Hondius was carrying nearly 150 people from more than 15 countries, including 17 Americans, when it set sail earlier this week from Cape Verde to Granadilla, after Spain agreed to take the ship. The man developed symptoms on April 6 and died on the ship on April 11, WHO said, but no samples were taken because his symptoms were similar to those of other respiratory viruses, and Hantavirus was not suspected at the time. The person in the biocontainment unit, which provides hospital-based care, was "doing well" as of Monday morning and did not have any symptoms, according to Angela Hewlett, an infectious disease physician and the medical director of the Nebraska Biocontainment Unit.

Of the Nebraska group, 15 people were taken to the National Quarantine Unit at the medical center, while another person was taken to a biocontainment unit there, health officials said at a briefing Monday. Although health officials have said risks from the cruise outbreak remain low for the general public, those disembarking and port workers wore face masks, hazmat suits, respirators and other protective gear during the evacuation process. Health officials say they are being monitored and none have shown symptoms. This is not another COVID, and the risk to the public is low.

She showed serious symptoms on a flight to Johannesburg, South Africa, on April 25, and died in South Africa the following day, WHO said. The Hondius set sail for its cruise April 1 from Ushuaia, Argentina, which took it to several islands in the south Atlantic, including the South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands, Tristan da Cunha, Gough Island and then St. The German woman showed symptoms on April 28 and died aboard the ship on May 2, according to WHO.