90-Second Read: Americans on both coasts who weren’t on MV Hondius being monitored for Hantavirus after possible flight exposure

At least five Americans on both US coasts are being monitored for Hantavirus symptoms after possibly coming into contact with passengers of the MV Hondius cruise ship on international flights. At least five Americans on both US coasts are being monitored for Hantavirus symptoms, even though they never set foot on board the ill-fated MV Hondius cruise ship. Two New Jersey residents, two Marylanders, and one Californian are in isolation under the strict supervision of health department officials after they all took international flights that included passengers from the virus-stricken cruise. Seventeen Americans were aboard the Dutch expedition cruise ship at the center of the Hantavirus outbreak. The rare Andes strain of Hantavirus that is communicable between people ran rampant on the ship, killing three passengers and putting dozens of.

Other Hantavirus strains are typically spread through contact with an infected rodent or its excrement. Only one of the 17 Americans tested positive for the virus after the evacuation. Hantavirus symptoms generally show between four and 42 days after contact, while people who are asymptomatic are generally not considered contagious. None has exhibited any symptoms, and it's unclear if they contracted the virus. Such transmission is rare and generally requires close, prolonged contact with an infected individual or their bodily fluids.

That individual and another who was showing symptoms were transferred to Emory University for further evaluation, while the other 15 are quarantining at a world-class medical center in Nebraska. Health officials have repeatedly assured that the virus poses no real threat to the public at this time. The cruise ship first departed from Argentina on March 20 and worked its way up the Atlantic Ocean as the outbreak spread onboard. A group of passengers left the boat between April 22 and 26, more than a week after the Schilperoord died, prompting fears they could spread the strain across the world.

Patient zero was identified as ornithologist Leo Schilperoord, who likely contracted the virus while birdwatching in a landfill in Argentina.