LOS ANGELES, June 24 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Wednesday announced the conclusion of public health response to the Hantavirus exposure event associated with the M/V Hondius cruise ship, with no confirmed cases reported in the United States.
According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the final 42-day monitoring period ended on June 21, and no individuals in the country remain under public health monitoring related to the event.
HHS said federal, state and local health authorities worked together to identify potentially exposed individuals, conduct medical monitoring, provide clinical guidance and prepare healthcare systems for a possible response. No sustained transmission of the virus occurred in the United States during the monitoring period.
According to the CDC, 18 potentially exposed U.S. passengers were repatriated from the M/V Hondius cruise ship in May and placed under public health monitoring. All 18 completed the monitoring period without any confirmed infections.
The outbreak involved Andes virus, a strain of hantavirus capable of limited person-to-person transmission. The CDC said the overall risk to the U.S. public remained low throughout the response.
"The successful conclusion of this response demonstrates the strength of a coordinated response to infectious disease threats that occur outside of our borders," said CDC Acting Director Jay Bhattacharya. ■
