90-Second Read: Passengers exposed to Hantavirus ordered to stay quarantined

Gratz) ( NewsNation ), Passengers exposed to Hantavirus on a cruise ship are now being told they must stay in a quarantine center for 42 days, despite being previously told they could choose to leave and be monitored at home. Hantavirus is normally spread by rodents, with the majority of people being exposed through rodent droppings, often while cleaning areas like garages or sheds. Hantavirus can appear up to 42 days after exposure, but the quarantine orders are reported to be for 21 days, covering the period when Hantavirus is most likely to appear.

The passengers were evacuated from the cruise ship to the National Quarantine Center in Nebraska, which is set up to house those exposed to certain diseases to prevent them from spreading. Initially, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said passengers could choose to stay at the center for the 42-day quarantine period or return home for monitoring, but now at least two have received legal orders that require them to remain. However, the outbreak on the HV Hondius was from the Andes Hantavirus, which can be transmitted between people through close contact.

There is no cure or treatment for Hantavirus, and it has a mortality rate of 30% to 40%. Other passengers who left the Hondius prior to the outbreak have been put under monitoring by local health departments, but have not been required to go to the quarantine center. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention requested all passengers stay in quarantine and issued formal orders to two of the passengers.