2 Hantavirus cruise passengers are Texas residents, health department confirms

The Texas passengers have no reported symptoms and have agreed to monitor themselves daily with temperature checks

We’re learning more about American passengers on the cruise ship at the center of a Hantavirus outbreak.

The Texas Department of State Health Services confirmed in a statement this week that they’d been contacted by the CDC and learned two Texas residents were aboard the ship.

DSHS said the passengers left ship and returned to the U.S. before the spread was identified. The remaining American passengers are expected to isolate at a preplanned location.

"Upon arrival they'll be given an epidemiological assessment, and at that point the quarantine period will be determined. At this point, we don’t have a defined quarantine period," saidDr. Michael Waldman, medical director of the National Quarantine Unit

As for the two Texas passengers, NBC 5’s affiliate KPRC said they confirmed with local officials that they are Houston Residents.

Dallas-based infection disease physician Dr. Jade Le, with Access TeleCare, weighed in on how transmissible the virus is.

“It is not a virus that is easily transmitted from person to person like COVID. You actually have to be staying in the same room within close contact for a prolonged period of time to get it,” said Le.

Still, becoming infected could come with deadly consequences.

“There are not antivirals to treat this,” she said. “There is no medicine, there is no shot, there are no pills or injections that we have that’s effective in treating this.”

The state health department said the Texas passengers have no reported symptoms and have agreed to monitor themselves daily with temperature checks. They’ve been told to contact public health officials at any sign of a possible illness.

Le said quarantine guidelines for passengers present a challenge.

“So, the incubation period can be one to six weeks. So, unlike COVID, trying to quarantine someone for that long when they have not symptoms does not make sense,” she said.

Le said she’s seen Hantavirus cases in the United States that have not led to widespread outbreaks. As we head into summer graduations and family vacations, she said, now is not a time for panic.

“I would not recommend that they cancel those tickets,” she said. “Go ahead. Go on your vacation. The chances that you will get this just because you’re on a cruise ship is very low.”

As all eyes are on the ship MV Hondius, Texas Health and Human Services said there are no documented cases where a person without symptoms transmitted the virus.

The CDC released a statement saying their infection disease experts continue to work closely with international partners.

They’ve deployed a team of medical professionals to the Canary Islands where the MV Hondius is expected to dock.