90-Second Read: Hantavirus outbreak: 2 Georgia residents exposed arrive at Emory University Hospital for evaluation

Two Georgia residents believed to have been exposed to Hantavirus arrived in Atlanta on Monday and were taken to Emory University Hospital after being transported through Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, federal health officials confirmed. One of the patients who arrived at Emory was experiencing symptoms, according to the University of Nebraska Medical Center, but tested negative for Hantavirus. The agency has also issued a Health Alert Network advisory to clinicians about recent Hantavirus clusters linked to the outbreak. You think, if you were one of those passengers that was stranded, especially if you were from Georgia, you would want your state to come to your aid, and that's exactly what we're going to do." He pointed to Emory's work treating Ebola patients. Federal officials said 16 other exposed passengers are.

Department of Health and Human Services, working with the State Department and CDC, coordinated airlifts to bring exposed passengers back to the United States for monitoring and treatment. HHS is coordinating across the federal government and with international partners to secure the safe return of American citizens exposed to the Andes variant of Hantavirus aboard the cruise ship," Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Earlier reporting from CBS News Atlanta found that Georgia public health officials were already monitoring two residents connected to the cruise ship exposure before their return to the state. At a signing ceremony at the Georgia Capitol on Monday, Gov. Brian Kemp said that the state is following similar processes that they did with COVID-19 when they removed patients from cruise ships.

Federal healthcare workers are taking every precaution needed in each of these cases, and there is no risk to the public at this time," the statement reads. Health officials emphasized that the overall risk to the public remains extremely low. Hantavirus is typically not spread from person to person, with transmission considered rare and generally limited to close-contact situations. Emory University Hospital has not released additional details on the patients' conditions or treatment plans. We're as prepared as any state in the country to do this and it is just the right thing to do.

We are going to help get these people back, and we're going to get them in the right environment that doesn't put their fellow Georgians in jeopardy. Protecting the health and safety of Americans remains our highest priority." CDC teams have been deployed to assess passengers and coordinate with state health departments on contact tracing and exposure monitoring. Health officials said each patient is undergoing clinical assessment upon arrival at designated treatment centers.