SALT LAKE CITY — At least one person from Utah is on a cruise ship that experienced a hantavirus outbreak while traveling the Atlantic Ocean, the Utah Department of Health and Human Services announced in a press release Friday.
Hantavirus is a rare, rodent-borne illness that already resulted in fatalities and sickened others on the ship.
The first confirmed case of hantavirus in a passenger on the ship was on May 2, according to the World Health Organization.
Utah health officials said they were notified about the Utah passenger on the MV Hondius by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The individual is among 17 U.S. citizens who are still onboard. They're expected to disembark from the cruise ship in the coming days in the Canary Islands; from there, they will be escorted by federal officials to a national quarantine unit in Nebraska.
It is not known at this time whether the passenger had any contact with a sick person while aboard the ship, the department said.
In the meantime, public health officials will be working with the any Utahns on the ship to ensure they get home safely. The Utah Department of Health and Human Services adds that "this does not increase the risk of hantavirus to the Utah population."
However, before the passenger returns to the state, Utah health officials say they will coordinate with the CDC, though a timeline for their return has yet to be decided.
"Following their return, state health officials will monitor their symptoms for any signs of a possible illness," the release states.
No other information about the passenger or passengers was made available.
