ATLANTA — Emory University Hospital has provided an update on two passengers connected to a hantavirus outbreak aboard the M/V Hondius cruise ship who are being treated and monitored in metro Atlanta.
Officials said the patients arrived Monday on a specially arranged flight that landed at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport after departing from Omaha, Nebraska.
The Georgia Department of Public Health confirmed the patients were transported to Emory University Hospital for specialized care. In a statement the Georgia Department of Public Health says “healthcare workers are taking every precaution needed in each of these cases, and there is no risk to the public at this time.”
Doctors said the second patient had close contact with the individual showing symptoms.
According to Emory infectious disease specialist Dr. Aneesh Mehta, the hospital is fully prepared to treat patients with high-risk infectious diseases.
“We have been prepared for patients with serious diseases for many years,” Mehta said.
He noted the hospital previously treated Ebola patients in the same specialized unit more than a decade ago.
Hantavirus response director David Fitter said the virus is well understood by medical teams.
“That helps us,” Fitter said. “We know what we’re doing and we know how we’re responding.”
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Dr. Brendon Jackson said the transfer to Emory was part of a contingency plan to ensure medical capacity and isolation space.
He said at least one patient is showing symptoms, while others remain under observation.
Jackson said hantavirus can spread through exposure to bodily fluids, including saliva, particularly through close or prolonged contact.
Officials have not released the identities of the patients.
Earlier this month, Georgia health officials confirmed two Georgia residents who were aboard the same cruise ship returned home and are being monitored after exposure.
Emory officials said the hospital’s specialized unit includes isolation areas, negative pressure rooms and trained infectious disease staff.
Doctors continue to emphasize that there is no threat to the general public.
