The United States Government, through the CDC: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is preparing a special flight which will transport the 17 American citizens who were aboard the MV Hondius, a Dutch expedition cruise which is now the epicentre of the deadly hantavirus outbreak.

This deadly and infectious disease has already taken several lives, and while the likelihood of widespread exposure remains low at this time, the CDC is now planning on a quarantine flight for the 17 Americans, where they will be transported from the Canary Islands and flown straight to the US state of Nebraska.

A Quarantine Flight Is To Be Scheduled

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The flight, which is being organised by the CDC, will look to repatriate the affected Americans instead of placing them on commercial flights. This will enable the CDC to have strict oversight of these travelers and be on board with medical personnel. The flight will go directly from the Canary Islands to Offutt Air Force Base in Omaha, where the 17 individuals will be taken for quarantine at the National Quarantine Centre at the University of Nebraska Medical Centre. Offutt AFB details below:

The last few days saw the MV Hondius stranded as countries refused to accept the vessel after it departed from the South Atlantic Ocean. Three people have died since, with many more becoming ill after the huntavirus spread throughout the ship, and now limited exposure on land, such as a flight attendant with KLM.

Onboard the ship, there were 147 passengers, which now now moored offshore in Tenerife, where a tightly controlled evacuation process will take place at sea, before individuals such as the 17 Americans will be moved directly onto government-organized transportation to their home country.

Details Not Yet Confirmed On Which Aircraft Will Be Utilized

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As first analysed by Live And Let’s Fly, the special CDC flight to Nebraska has not had an aircraft type confirmed; however, this highly controlled and organized evacuation flight will be powerful in its ability to limit exposure to the general public. The use of this flight is a unique containment tool to limit the exposure that could potentially spread should the passengers fly on commercial flights.

The flight itself is not being used as a transportation tool to bring them home, but to contain the infection in a controlled environment, lessons that have been learnt in depth from the COVID-19 Pandemic. For now, authorities are working closely to contain exposure; however, it remains important to note that the likelihood of broader public risk to the Hantavirus remains low.

A team of epidemiologists and medical professionals has already been deployed by the CDC to the Canary Islands, and this specialized team will conduct a risk assessment of exposure for each passenger and provide any recommendations for the level of monitoring that is required. Additionally, a separate team will be sent to Offutt to support the public health assessment of these passengers.

What Exactly Is Hantavirus?

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Hantavirus is a rare but serious virus that is often fatal. It is transmitted to humans through contact with feces or other waste from infected rodents such as mice and rats. The symptoms are severe respiratory or kidney illnesses, and can be contracted by breathing in aerosolized virus particles from droppings.

The most common symptoms, as outlined by the CDC, are Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS), which affects the lungs and heart. The fluid buildup can lead to a fatality rate of between 40 and 50%. Additional types are haemorrhagic Fever and Renal Syndrome (HFRS), which usually impacts the kidneys.

While the current outbreak onboard the MV Hondius has been fatal for three individuals already, the likelihood of a wider impact on the aviation industry remains low, with the current outbreak not as easily transmitted as COVID-19 in air travel environments. To become infected, it would require very close, prolonged contact with the infected person’s bodily fluids or droplets.