CDC Monitors 16 Additional US Passengers for Hantavirus Exposure

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced on May 14 that it is monitoring 16 additional individuals for hantavirus symptoms, bringing the total number of people under surveillance in the United States to 41. These newly identified individuals were passengers on an April 25 flight to Johannesburg, South Africa, where they were exposed to an infected person. This group is distinct from the 18 passengers previously quarantined from a Dutch cruise ship linked to the outbreak. The source of exposure was a 69-year-old Dutch woman who died from the virus in late April; her husband was the outbreak's first fatality. While the cruise ship passengers are in specialized quarantine facilities in Nebraska and Atlanta, the monitoring for the flight passengers is largely voluntary, with officials urging them to stay home during the 42-day observation period. As of the report date, there are no confirmed hantavirus cases within the United States. The CDC continues to track all potentially exposed Americans both domestically and abroad to prevent further spread of the infectious disease.