Two Texas residents were among the passengers on a cruise ship that experienced a deadly hantavirus outbreak, and they returned to the United States before the illness was identified, state health authorities confirmed.
Passengers Monitor for Symptoms
The Texas Department of State Health Services reported on Thursday that the two individuals are showing no symptoms and had no contact with any sick passengers aboard the MV Hondius. According to reporter Adam Schwager, both have agreed to self-monitor for symptoms, including daily temperature checks. They will contact public health officials immediately if any signs of illness appear.
Fatalities and Investigations
So far, three cruise ship passengers have died in the outbreak, with several others falling ill. The first victim, a 70-year-old Dutch man, died on April 11 after several days of severe illness. Hantavirus symptoms typically emerge between one and eight weeks after exposure.
The Argentine government's leading hypothesis is that a Dutch couple who died contracted hantavirus during a bird-watching outing at a garbage dump in Ushuaia, Argentina, where the MV Hondius departed on April 1. The ship later anchored in Praia, Cape Verde, on Monday.
This is a developing story. Further updates will follow.
