#USA, #Wastewater Data for Avian #Influenza #H5 (CDC, May 22 '26)

 

{Excerpt}

(...)

Time Period: May 10, 2026 - May 16, 2026

    -- A(H5) Detection: 4 site(s) (1.0%)

    -- No Detection: 413 site(s) (99.0%)

    -- No samples: 81 site(s)

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Source: 

Link: https://www.cdc.gov/wastewater/emerging-viruses/h5.html?

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#USA, #Hawaii DoH Monitoring #Ebola, #Hantavirus Outbreaks (May 20 '26)

 

    HONOLULU — The Hawaiʻi Department of Health (DOH) is actively monitoring an outbreak of Bundigbugyo virus, a strain of Ebola virus, that is occurring in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda.

    On May 16, the World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus declared a public health emergency of international concern due to the outbreak. 

    This declaration enables the WHO and international public health partners to surge specialized outbreak response resources to the affected countries. 

    The risk of the outbreak to Hawaiʻi is currently very low. 

    However, this is a good reminder to use common sense when traveling internationally to stay healthy. 

    “The recent hantavirus and Ebola outbreaks are reminders of the need to continue to invest in public health and to remain engaged globally,” said Governor Josh Green. “Infectious pathogens don’t recognize borders. The risk to Hawai’i from these outbreaks is very low, but we continue to be vigilant.” 

What is Bundigbugyo virus? 

    Bundigbugyo virus (BDBV) is a strain of the Ebola virus group first identified during an outbreak in the Bundigbugyo District of Uganda in 2007. 

    Like other Ebola viruses, BDBV causes a severe illness called Bundigbugyo Virus Disease (BVD). 

    BVD symptoms include fever, vomiting, diarrhea, multi-organ damage and in some cases, hemorrhage or bleeding. 

    The WHO reports BVD is fatal in 30 to 50% of cases. 

    Unlike the Ebola Zaire virus strain, there is currently no licensed vaccine or therapeutic medication for BDBV infection. 

    BDBV is believed to occur naturally in fruit bats that live in Central Africa, with occasional spillover to the human population. 

    BDBV can spread from person to person through direct contact with the blood, secretions, organs, or other bodily fluids of infected individuals or contaminated surfaces. 

Why is the risk for Hawaiʻi considered very low? 

    Human infections of Ebola viruses have rarely occurred outside endemic locations in Africa. 

    Hawaiʻi does not have BDBV naturally occurring in bats or animals. 

    There are also no direct air travel connections between the outbreak area and Hawaiʻi. 

    National and international public health authorities are placing additional traveler screening measures in place in outbreak-affected areas to reduce the likelihood of traveler spread. 

    BDBV transmission between people requires direct contact with body fluids and does not spread through the air by cough like measles or flu. Outbreaks typically occur in locations with low infection controls standards and resources. 

What do I need to know if the risk is very low? 

    First, know that even though the WHO has declared a public health event of international concern, this is not a pandemic and nothing needs to change in our everyday lives due to this outbreak overseas.  

    Second, this outbreak also reminds us of the importance of being an informed and proactive international traveler to stay healthy. 

    The DOH recommends Hawaiʻi residents routinely consult with their healthcare provider well in advance of planned international travel to assess potential health risks and discuss the most appropriate disease prevention measures. 

    The DOH encourages all international travelers to review the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Travelers’ Health website and review any travel health notices for their destination(s). 

    Travel to international locations with an ongoing outbreak of a severe disease may require additional monitoring and activity restrictions upon return home, as recommended by the CDC and the DOH. 

What is Hawaiʻi DOH doing to monitor the situation? 

    The DOH Disease Outbreak Control Division (DOCD) and Office of Public Health Preparedness (OPHP) work every day to monitor new and emerging public health risks around the globe to protect our community’s health here at home. 

    The DOH is regularly connected with the CDC and the WHO Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network for situation updates. BDBV outbreaks can go on for months. The DOH will notify the public if anything changes in the future for our risk assessment here at home.

What about the hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship?

    The DOH also continues to closely monitor an outbreak of Andes virus, a strain of hantavirus, among passengers and crew of the cruise ship MV Hondius. 

    The CDC has confirmed that no Hawaiʻi residents were on the cruise ship. The DOH remains in regular contact with the CDC investigation team, continues to closely monitor developments, and will provide an update should the situation change.

    Andes virus, a type of hantavirus endemic in South America, is the only hantavirus known to spread from person to person, typically through close or prolonged contact in confined settings. 

    Several other New World hantaviruses are endemic to the United States and are not transmissible from person to person. 

    Cases of infections caused by these other hantaviruses, although relatively rare, are seasonal and typically increase in the continental U.S. during the spring and summer as people come into contact with infected rodents.

(...)

Source: 

Link: https://health.hawaii.gov/news/newsroom/doh-monitoring-ebola-hantavirus-outbreaks/

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Transcript - #Update on #Ebola #Outbreak in the #DRC and #Uganda (US CDC, May 17 '26)

 

Please Note: This transcript is not edited and may contain errors.

00:00:00 Operator

Good afternoon and thank you all for standing by. For the duration of today's call all listeners are in a listen only mode until the question and answer section. At that time credentialed members of the media can press star one to ask a question or star two to withdraw a question. Today's call is being recorded, if you have any objections please disconnect at this time. I will now introduce Mr. Benjamin Haynes. Thank you Sir. You may begin.

00:00:31 Benjamin Haynes, CDC Moderator

Thank you Brad and good afternoon everyone. I'd like to thank you all for joining us today for an update on CDC 's Ebola response. I know on Friday we briefly mentioned that we were aware of the outbreak and we're responding. So today Dr. Satish Pillai will give an update and then we'll take your questions. When we get to the question and answers,

we wanted to make sure that Dr. David Fitter is here just in case you may have some lingering hantavirus questions. I'll now turn the call over to Dr. Pillai.

00:01:01 CAPT Satish K. Pillai, MD, MPH, CDC Ebola Response Incident Manager

Thank you Ben and thank you all for joining us on a Sunday afternoon. As mentioned earlier in the week, CDC is responding to an outbreak of Ebola disease in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda. In DRC this outbreak has now affected at least 9 health zones; there have also been 2 confirmed cases identified in Uganda in people who traveled there from DRC. Yesterday, the World Health Organization declared this outbreak a public health emergency of international concern, or a PHEIC. There are 4 types of Ebola virus that cause illness in people. This specific outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo virus subtype of Ebola.

CDC is urgently coordinating with our interagency partners on this outbreak to ensure the outbreak is managed and prevent further spread of Ebola. CDC has activated our Emergency Response Center for this outbreak. And through our CDC country office in DRC and Uganda, we are providing in country support for surveillance, contact tracing, laboratory testing, infection prevention and control, border health activities, and community engagement.

We're also mobilizing additional support from our headquarters in Atlanta. Friday, we posted 2 travel health notices for DRC and Uganda and yesterday CDC posted a situation update on our website.

At present, there are no FDA approved vaccines or therapeutics for Ebola virus Bundibugyo. And proactive supportive care including fluid and electrolyte management and treatment of complications is the most effective strategy for optimizing patient outcomes.

This is the 18th recorded Ebola outbreak in DRC since the virus was first identified in 1976. The previous Ebola outbreak in DRC ended December 2025. There have only been a few Bundibugyo species outbreaks before this one, one in Uganda in 2007, one DRC in 2015.

To the American public, the risk to the United States remains low.

Travelers to the region should avoid contact with sick people, report symptoms immediately and follow our travel health guidance.

Thank you.

00:03:50 Mr. Haynes

Thank you Dr. Pillai; Brad we are ready to take questions.

00:04:11 Operator

Thank you. We will now begin the question and answer session. If you are a credentialed member of the media and would like to ask a question during the call, press star one on your touch tone phone. Press star 2 to withdraw your question. You may queue up at anytime. The first question for today will come from Helen Branswell of STAT your line is open.

00:04:36 Helen Branswell

Thank you very much for doing this and thank you very much for taking my question. Dr. Pillai, I'm hearing reports that there have been some exposures of Americans in DRC, I think about 6, I think 2 or 3 of those people may have had high risk exposures and that one may be symptomatic now and that the United states may be looking to either repatriate those people, at least get them somewhere where they could be monitored and cared for. Can you please tell us about that?

00:05:17 Dr. Pillai

Thank you Helen for the question. The CDC headquarters and the CDC country office is actively working with our interagency partners, the embassy to fully assess the situation and the needs on the ground. It is a highly dynamic situation, and at this point what I would say is we continue to assess. We will continue to keep you posted as we learn more and thank you.

00:05:50 Helen Branswell

I'm sorry that didn't answer my question.

00:05:54 Dr. Pillai

Yeah, I would say again we are assessing the needs on the ground, the situation, and working with our interagency partners and we will continue to keep individuals posted as we learn more.

00:06:10 Mr. Haynes

Next question please.

00:06:16 Operator

The next question comes from Mike Stobbe of The Associated Press, your line is open.

00:06:22 Mike Stobbe

Hi thank you for taking my question, a couple, first a follow up from Helen Branswell, I don't understand, are you saying that there are Americans who are being assessed and were exposed? I mean, that's the, I know this administration is striving for transparency, so could you please answer the question directly? Also, could you say how many people CDC has in its office in the DRC, how many people it has in Uganda, and how many people more, how many more people you're sending, thank you?

00:06:56 Dr. Pillai

Thank you, so I will say we don't discuss or comment on individual dispositions. As the US government has additional information to share, we will continue to share. Regarding the second question, the DRC country office has over 30 individuals. We are identifying deployers to head out early this week and will continue to identify what the needs are and deployment requests against that and similarly the Uganda country office has requested deployers and we're actively moving to get people into the field.

00:07:36 Mr. Haynes

Next question please.

00:07:39 Operator

The next question will come from Youri Benadjaoud of ABC News, your line is open.

00:07:46 Youri Benadjaoud

Thanks for taking this call guys. How concerned are you that this outbreak is going to continue to grow ,especially given the fact that there's no vaccines and treatments? Are you aware of anyone that's already taking an international flight?

00:08:02 Dr. Pillai

Regarding the issue of no therapeutics, I do want to emphasize the fact that we have known ways to control Ebola outbreaks through contact tracing, active case identification, early testing, quarantine and isolation measures, those have been proven effective and those are the measures to undertake with Bundibugyo outbreaks and those are the measures that we're going to be emphasizing in this outbreak.

00:08:40 Mr. Haynes

Next, sorry Youri, go ahead.

00:08:44 Youri Benadjaoud

On the international flights, do you know of any cases or exposures that have taken an international flight so far?

00:08:53 Dr. Pillai

I can't speak to that, I'm not aware of any, and I would say that we have measures in the US that, for exit screening in countries as well as and have provided ongoing support on border health activities with our country offices and the ministries of health.

00:09:19 Mr. Haynes

Next question please Brad.

00:09:23 Operator

The next question comes from Jonathan Lambert of NPR your line is open.

00:09:29 Jonathan Lambert

Hi thanks for taking my question. I wonder if you could speak to why it took so long for the outbreak to become recognized as Ebola. Was CDC involved in supporting the transfer or testing of samples in the early days of the outbreaks and did aid cuts affect these surveillance programs?

00:09:50 Dr. Pillai

CDC was notified of the DRC outbreak, of the confirmed case on Thursday evening and Uganda Friday, directly from our ongoing relationships with the Ministry of Health. As soon as we learned of the activity we began mobilizing efforts at headquarters. The location in Bunia is a challenging area with really, concerns and challenges with I think public health practice. As soon as the outbreak was identified we have been actively mobilizing.

00:10:41 Mr. Haynes

Next question please Brad.

00:10:44 Operator

The next question will come from Lynne Peterson with Trends in Medicine, your line is open.

00:10:51 Lynne Peterson

Thank you, I guess I'll add to the list of people asking, are any Americans infected in the DRC? We're not asking you to tell us who they are, but we would like to know if there are any Americans involved. That's the first part of my question. Do we have an answer to that?

00:11:12 Dr. Pillai

I will say again at this juncture we're actively assessing the situation on the ground, and we aren't going to comment on individual dispositions of infection, exposure.

00:11:28 Lynne Peterson

And secondly, in respect to travel, is it actually safe to let anybody fly out of those countries right now? Because there's no test? We're not testing everybody that flies and they could be asymptomatic. So should there not be, are you considering a complete travel ban out of the countries?

00:11:54 Dr. Pillai

So there is diagnostic capabilities for Bundibugyo. That's how these cases were identified both in Uganda and DRC. The biology of Bundibugyo virus is such that individuals are infectious only if they're symptomatic. And we have exit screening activities in both DRC and Uganda, in discussions with our embassies and our country offices.

00:12:27 Mr. Haynes

Brad we have time for 2 more questions.

00:12:31 Operator

Thank you, the next question comes from Nadia Kounang of CNN, your line is open.

00:12:39 Nadia Kounang

Hi thanks for taking our questions. I wanted to follow up on the traveler situation. You mentioned there's exit screening activities both in DRC and Uganda. One: can you clarify or expand on what those exit screening strategies are, and secondly is there further discussion then about monitoring travelers who have come from those areas to the United States and monitoring them for symptoms?

00:13:07 Dr. Pillai

So with, I think one important point is both Uganda and DRC are experienced with viral hemorrhagic fever outbreaks, Ebola outbreaks. The role of exit screening is appropriate symptom monitoring and assessing from signs and symptoms. Both countries have experience in implementing these. And again, even as of a few hours ago, we were in discussions with our country office partners about this, and we will continue to reinforce those practices. And on the ports of entry, the US has appropriate, is putting in appropriate measures for identifying individuals with any symptoms.

00:13:59 Mr. Haynes

And our last question please.

00:14:03 Operator

Yes, your last question will come from George Solis of NBC News, your line is open.

00:14:09 George Solis

Hi thank you so much for doing this. I know we can't talk about the, any cases specifically related to Americans, but just generally speaking, how concerned do Americans or the American public need to be about these cases, and how soon would you get a sense of just the number of cases before this could become a pandemic style emergency?

00:14:32 Dr. Pillai

So I think to start, the risk to Americans is low. I think this is different than a respiratory transmissible disease such as COVID. Individuals are at risk of transmitting infection when they're symptomatic, there is not an asymptomatic phase, and therefore again going back to the idea of being able to identify individuals, appropriately triage individuals, test, either quarantine or isolate appropriately, and provide supportive care are the critical public health interventions. So again, that that speaks to the fact that this is different than a respiratory transmissible infectious disease, and the risk to the American people is low.

00:15:31 Mr. Haynes

Thank you Dr. Pillai and thank you all for joining us today. A transcript and audio file of this call will be posted to the CDC media site later today, and this will conclude our call, thank you.

00:15:44 Operator

Thank you all for your participation and for joining today's conference. You may now all disconnect.

Source: 

Link: https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2026/transcript-ebola-update-05-17-2026.html

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#US State of #Washington health officials assisting with #hantavirus #investigations involving two different virus #strains in two separate events (Dept. of Health, May 16 '26)

 

Risk of hantavirus to the public remains very low

    OLYMPIA – The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) is working with local and federal partners on two separate hantavirus-related investigations. 

    One investigation involves individuals potentially exposed to cases linked to the MV Hondius cruise ship outbreak, while the other involves a hantavirus infection unrelated to the cruise ship. 

    The cases involve different virus strains and exposure circumstances and are not connected.

    Hantaviruses are a group of viruses carried by different rodent species. 

    Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) is a rare but serious disease caused by exposure to infected rodents or their droppings, urine, or saliva. 

    About one out of three people diagnosed with HPS have died. 

    The risk of contracting any strain of hantavirus remains very low.

Investigation 1: Andes virus exposure monitoring in Washington

    Earlier this week, Public Health – Seattle & King County announced monitoring of three King County residents who were potentially exposed to the Andes strain of hantavirus linked to the MV Hondius cruise ship. 

    Two individuals were exposed during an international flight by a passenger who was later diagnosed with Andes virus, and one individual was exposed on the cruise ship. 

    All three people are currently asymptomatic. 

    Potentially exposed people are monitored for 42 days after their last exposure to a person infected with the Andes virus.

    Additionally, CDC has notified DOH of three additional Washington residents who were on the same international flight as two of the King County individuals and are considered to have low-risk exposures. 

    One individual is a King County resident. 

    The other two residents live in Eastern Washington. 

    DOH is not releasing further details to protect individual privacy. Out of an abundance of caution, local health jurisdictions are reaching out to these individuals to assess exposure and monitor them for symptoms.

    Andes virus is a type of hantavirus spread by rodents in South America. The rodents that carry the virus have not been found in the United States. In rare cases, Andes virus can spread from person to person, typically through prolonged, close contact with someone who is ill. No cases of Andes virus have been reported among Washington residents.

    Local health jurisdictions are in     regular contact with impacted residents to monitor for symptoms during the 42-day incubation period associated with Andes virus.

Investigation 2: Sin Nombre virus hantavirus pulmonary syndrome case in Chelan County

    Today Chelan-Douglas Health District reported the first case of Sin Nombre virus hantavirus in Washington state this year. This case is not connected to the MV Hondius cruise ship outbreak, which was caused by a different type of hantavirus.

    Sin Nombre virus-infected deer mice are found throughout Washington. Infected deer mice can spread the virus through urine, saliva, and droppings. People can become infected by breathing contaminated dust when disturbing rodent droppings, urine, nests, or nesting materials, particularly in enclosed or rodent-infested spaces. Less commonly, people can be infected by touching contaminated objects and touching their eyes, nose, or mouth, or by being bitten or scratched by an infected rodent.

    Any activity that puts you in contact with deer mouse droppings, urine, saliva, or nesting materials can place you at risk for infection. For information on how to safely clean areas where rodents may be present, DOH recommends the following guidance.

    DOH has tracked hantavirus cases since 1994. The state typically reports one to five Sin Nombre hantavirus cases each year. Unlike Andes virus, Sin Nombre virus does not spread from person to person.

    The risk to the public from any hantavirus is very low because: 

        - Sin Nombre virus infections can be prevented by avoiding contact with rodents and rodent-infested areas and using wet-cleaning methods when cleaning rodent droppings, dead or trapped rodents, or nesting materials.

        - Andes virus person-to-person transmission can be limited through early identification of cases and monitoring of close contacts.

    Visit DOH's website for additional information on Hantavirus.

    Our website is your source for a healthy dose of information. Get updates by following us on social media.

Source: 

Link: https://doh.wa.gov/newsroom/washington-health-officials-assisting-hantavirus-investigations-involving-two-different-virus

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#USA, #Wastewater Data for Avian #Influenza #H5 (CDC, May 15 '26)

 

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Time Period: May 03, 2026 - May 09, 2026

-- A(H5) Detection: 6 site(s) (1.4%)

-- No Detection: 416 site(s) (98.6%)

-- No samples: 118 site(s)

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Source: 

Link: https://www.cdc.gov/wastewater/emerging-viruses/h5.html?

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#USA, #Andes #Hantavirus Update: No Cases in #California (Dept. of Health, May 14 '26)

 

May 13, 2026​ | NR26-020

One additional Californian with possible exposure, no cases of Andes hantavirus disease in the state ​

    SACRAMENTO – The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has notified the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) of a fifth California resident with potential exposure to Andes hantavirus as a result of the outbreak aboard the MV Hondius cruise ship. 

    This individual disembarked the MV Hondius before the outbreak was identified, returned briefly to California and left for additional travel also before the outbreak was identified. 

    The individual is currently in the Pitcairn Islands, a British Overseas Territory in the South Pacific. Their health is being monitored by the CDC, in coordination with British health officials, and they remain asymptomatic. 

Andes Hantavirus Investigation in California 

    There are currently no reported cases of Andes hantavirus disease in California or in California residents, nor in United States residents.  ​

    In total, there are now five possibly exposed Californians undergoing monitoring for their health status. 

    In addition to the person in the Pitcairn Islands, two individuals are in California in Santa Clara and Sacramento counties, and two are in the National Quarantine Unit at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) in Omaha, Nebraska. 

    At this time, CDPH does not have additional information to share regarding the two Californians in Nebraska, including when they will return to the state. 

    Currently, to our knowledge, all five individuals undergoing public health monitoring do not have any symptoms of illness from hantavirus, and the two individuals in California are in close contact with local public health officials to assure they remain healthy and following public health direction to limit interaction with others.    ​

    CDPH remains in close contact with the CDC and the World Health Organization (WHO). This is an evolving situation, and information is current as of May 13. New or changing information will be updated as it becomes available.   

Helpful Language for Media and Communicators 

    CDPH, in coordination with its partners, is monitoring five individuals with possible exposure. There are no cases in California or among California residents. 

Table of California Possible Exposures 

    1) ​Exposure Location​: ​Onboard MV Hondius

        - ​Current Location: ​Santa Clara County

        - ​Current Status: ​Undergoing monitoring; asymptomatic

        - ​Number of California Residents: 1

    2-3) ​Exposure Location: ​Onboard MV Hondius  ​

        - ​Current Location: ​Nebraska

        - Current Status: ​Undergoing monitoring; asymptomatic

        - ​Number of California Residents: ​2

    4) ​Exposure Location: ​On Flight with Known non-CA Case

        - ​Current Location: ​Sacramento County

        - Current Status: ​Undergoing monitoring; asymptomatic

        - ​Number of California Residents: ​1

    5) ​Exposure Location: ​Onboard MV Hondius  ​

        - Current Location: ​Pitcairn Islands  

        - Current Status: ​Undergoing monitoring; asymptomatic  

        - Number of California Residents: 1

    -- ​Total: ​5​

Source: 

Link: https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/OPA/Pages/NR26-020.aspx

____

#USA, Transcript - #Update on #CDC's #Hantavirus #Response (May 14 '26)

 

Please Note: This transcript is not edited and may contain errors.

    -- Operator:

    - Good afternoon and thank you for standing by for the duration of today's call. All listeners are in a listen only mode until the question and answer session. At that time, credentialed members of the media press can press star one to ask a question or star two to withdraw a question. Today's call is being recorded. If you have any objections, you may disconnect at this time. I would now like to introduce Mr. Benjamin Haynes. Thank you, sir. You may begin.

    

    -- Benjamin Haynes:

    - Thank you, Shirley. And thank you all for joining us today for CDC's Hantavirus response update. Here to discuss the response is CDC's hantavirus response lead, Dr. David Fitter and CDC's Nebraska team lead, Dr. Brendan Jackson. Both will share brief remarks before we take your questions and at this time I'd like to turn the call over to Dr. Fitter.

    

    -- Dr. David Fitter:

    - Thank you, Ben and good afternoon everybody and thank you for joining us. My name is Dr. David Fitter and I'm with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and I am the Incident Manager for the hantavirus response here. 

    - I want to start by saying hantavirus is a known pathogen. While Andes virus has some distinct characteristics including rare person-to-person transmission, our experts have allowed us to respond effectively while remaining vigilant about its unique features. 

    - At this moment I want to emphasize that the risk to the general public is low. Our top priority is both the passengers who are on the ship and American communities. 

    - From the earliest stages of this outbreak, CDC has been working in close coordination with state and public health authorities with federal partners including ASPR and the State Department and international health partners, including countries that have been impacted by this. 

    - CDC activated our emergency response in Atlanta immediately and has more than 100 staff actively working on this response. Operationally, we've been engaged at every step. As soon as we were notified by the IHR, we responded and connected with international partners and developed guidance for the American passengers in the ship. 

    - We provided information about the Andes virus to the passengers on board and also have kept them updated here in the United States through our staff on the ground as well as through calls with them to answer their questions. 

    - A CDC team was deployed to the Canary Islands to provide public health expertise on site, including speaking with each individual U.S. citizen about their potential exposure. 

    - Two members of that team actually then joined the American passengers on the repatriation flight back to Nebraska. The additional CDC team met the plain when it landed in Nebraska and is conducting assessments and supporting the passengers now that they've returned to the United States. 

    - CDC also published a HAN prior to the repatriation of the American citizens. In addition, CDC has posted a toolkit, an FAQ document, current situation overview, and fact sheet on our updated web page. 

    - We've held two Hill briefings, and have just completed a call with the governors from the States with repatriated Americans. We've also held daily calls with state health officials. 

    - Our role now is to continue our conversations with each passenger about their potential exposure and work with partners to ensure appropriate monitoring. 

    - We're sharing real-time information with state and federal partners so decisions are based on the health assessments of each passenger and the best available evidence. 

    - CDC currently recommends testing only for people with symptoms. There is a blood test specifically for Andes that has been validated as well as a PCR test for Andes, but it's currently for research use only and not used for patient care yet. And of course, we will continue to work with state and local health departments if needed. 

    - We are focusing on delivering safe, respectful care and transparent communication to the individuals who returned and their families. 

    - To the American public, please know we are here to protect your health and based on current information the risk to the general population remains low. 

    - So far our response has followed our playbook. A swift action across federal, state, and local public health. The systems and partnerships that we've built exist precisely for situations like this. The work isn't always visible. Sharing information with state and local health departments and coordinating guidance and monitoring, but it never stops. It's deliberate. It's coordinated and essential to keep our community safe. I'll now turn it over the call to Dr. Brendan Jackson, who's leading the CDC team in Nebraska.

    -- Dr. Brendan Jackson:

    - Great, thanks David. My name is Brendan Jackson, and as David said, I'm CDC's team lead in Nebraska, and I'm a medical epidemiologist. So we currently have a dedicated team of CDC health, health professionals deployed here in Nebraska responding. 

    - Our team's been working around the clock to ensure the health and safety of everyone involved. We're currently conducting public health assessments on site. These in-depth health assessments include asking each passenger about their exposure to the confirmed cases. And the University of Nebraska team here is conducting regular temperature monitoring, symptoms screening, and general wellness evaluations. 

    - This particular virus has a long incubation period, so the monitoring period is 42 days, and the 42 days started with the departure of the ship. 

    - So May 11th was the day one. We're here to support the people who have returned from the ship and the excellent Nebraska team here in Omaha. Thank you.

    -- Benjamin Haynes:

    - Thank you, Dr. Jackson and Dr. Fitter. At this time I'd like to open it up for questions.

    -- Operator:

    - Thank you. If you are a credentialed member of the media and would like to ask a question during the call, please press star one on your touch tone phone. Press star two to withdraw your question. You may queue up at any time. Our first question comes from Erika Edwards with NBC News. Your line is open, you may ask your question.

    -- Erika Edwards:

    - Okay, thanks so much for doing this. I was curious whether the passenger who was considered a mildly positive case has been retested back here in the U.S. Was that test, the one that Dr. Fitter mentioned and I'm curious what the turnaround time for those test results are. And also if you could just talk a little bit about the decisions being made about possibility of quarantining at home, any more specifics you have about what those people might be able to do or cannot do if they are determined to be able to quarantine at home. Thank you.

    -- Dr. David Fitter:

    - The initial test that we received was from abroad and it was inconclusive in its results. So we're in the process of testing currently and we hope to have those results back in a day or so. With regards to home monitoring, we're working very closely with states and jurisdictions as well as with the passengers themselves and other contacts to ensure that they have the information they need. We're taking a conservative approach on this and we really are encouraging people to stay at their homes and work very closely with the state and local health departments to ensure that they are appropriately monitored in that space.

    -- Benjamin Haynes: 

    - Next question please.

    -- Operator: 

    - Thank you one one moment please for our next question. Question comes from Wale Aliyu from Atlanta News First. Your line is open. You may ask your question.

    -- Wale Aliyu:

    - Hi, I have two questions. The first, can you hear me okay?

    -- Benjamin Haynes: 

    -  Yes, please go on.

    -- Wale Aliyu: 

    - Okay. First question, can you just elaborate on the couple taken to Emory and just their current conditions?

    -- Dr. David Fitter:

    - Yes, we don't talk about the specific individuals really to respect the privacy of everybody.

    -- Wale Aliyu:

    - I figured so totally understandable. The second question I had is I know most reports have said there's very low risk to the general public at this point. What would you say to people who have concerns about the comparison to COVID-19, if you remember some of those early reports also said low risk to the general public.

    -- Dr. David Fitter:

    - Yeah, this is not a novel virus. This is a known virus and we've seen this in the United States before and we know how to respond to it. And that's what we're doing and we're putting into action all the things that we have in place to ensure that American communities remain safe and healthy. What we really want to do is ensure that we're also communicating about this. We'll continue to update the U.S. about everything that we're doing in multiple ways through our websites and other endeavors like this.

    -- Benjamin Haynes:

    - Next question, please.

    -- Operator:

    - Thank you. Our next question then comes from Pien Huang with NPR. Your line is open, you may ask your question.

    -- Pien Huang:

    - Hi, thanks so much for doing this. I have two questions as well, both about quarantine. So first of all, I'm wondering if any federal or state authorities are currently being used to quarantine any of the people exposed to hantavirus or if it's all voluntary at this point. And secondly, I want to ask about the home quarantine situation because the people's homes don't have isolated negative air pressure rooms. It's hard to guarantee 100% adherence. I'm wondering if that worries you or concerns you at all about the people who are or will be monitoring from home.

    -- Dr. David Fitter:

    - So currently, there are no state or federal quarantine orders that have been drawn. We're working really closely with all contacts to ensure that they understand what is expected for them to appropriately monitor themselves. But we also want to make sure that they have the right information so that they can understand the situation as best as possible. I can't tell you how much I appreciate our state and health local partners, what they've been doing. They've been doing multiple checks daily to ensure that everything is going well for people. They've been explaining the situation to them as well. I think everybody should be extraordinarily proud of the network of partners, of state and local health partners that we have in the United States. Our goal is to ensure that we're able to follow our monitoring guidelines, but to work with passengers to ensure that they're able to do it. And if they need to do it somewhere else, we will work with them, will work with state and local health departments to ensure that that happens as well. Again, I just really want to reiterate the safety and health of the passengers is critical to us as well as the safety and health of the American communities.

    -- Benjamin Haynes:

    - Next question please.

    -- Operator:

    - Thank you. Our next question comes from Maggie Vespa with NBC News, your line is open. You may ask your question.

    -- Maggie Vespa:

    - Hi there. Yeah. Thank you so much for this. I have two questions. The first is a clarification of my colleagues' question. Did you say that specific to the asymptomatic patients or passengers in quarantine in Nebraska that you are encouraging them to isolate at home or just what can we know about whether they'll be encouraged to stay here during the full six week incubation period?

    -- Dr. David Fitter:

    - The people that are in Nebraska currently, they have been encouraged that they can, to stay in Nebraska. It is a fantastic facility. We really appreciate the state of Nebraska as well as the University of Nebraska Medical Center for everything they have done. And that is a great place for them to be able to do this, but also as we continue to coordinate the best monitoring for them.

    -- Maggie Vespa:

    - And there's no version of keeping them here? And I'm using that verbiage really intentionally.

    -- Dr. David Fitter:

    - Our goal is to continue to work with them for the best possible place for them and we encourage them to be there.

    -- Maggie Vespa: 

    - Okay, I really appreciate it. My question prior to needing that clarification, and thank you so much for that. A number of exposures popping up in other states came from residents, according to health officials, who said they were traveling with exposed passengers inadvertently. So my question is, why weren't the exposed cruise ship passengers transported in a way that kept them away from the general public, like on a private plane or something like that?

    -- Dr. Brendan Jackson: 

    - I can jump in here. This is Brendan Jackson. So the passengers that are being monitored were on shared flights were passengers were separate from the passengers who were on the ship at the time the outbreak was detected. So they had actually left the ship before the outbreak was detected. All the passengers that were on the ship after that detection phase were transported just several days ago on a private plane directly from the Canary Islands to here in Omaha, Nebraska.

    -- Maggie Vespa: 

    - Okay. In other words, if they were inadvertently on the same flight, it would be because those passengers had left early and didn't yet know about the outbreak.

    -- Dr. Brendan Jackson 

    - Correct.

    -- Maggie Vespa:

    - Okay, thank you so much for that. I really appreciate it.

    -- Benjamin Haynes: 

    - We're ready for the next question. Could you also remind the reporters how to raise their hand for a question, please?

    -- Operator: 

    - Certainly, you can press star one to ask a question. Our next question comes from Michael Erman with Reuters. Your line is open. You may ask your question.

    -- Michael Erman: 

    - Hi, this is Mike Irman from Reuters. You know, I just wanted, you know, a little bit of clarification on the passenger and the biocontainment unit in Nebraska. On Monday, the briefing said that that passenger had tested positive. I think mildly positive was the language used. And now you call that test inconclusive. So I'm wondering if you could give us some clarification or understanding why that test is being called inconclusive now instead of positive. And then the other question is, will that passenger remain in the biocontainment unit if they test negative again?

    -- Dr. David Fitter:

    - Thank you. The test that we initially got, there was a positive and a negative. From our standpoint, we wanted to redo the test to ensure that we had a test that was done here and we had the results. And thus, that's what we are waiting for. We want to make sure that we have the best possible information so that we can help that passenger.

    -- Michael Erman: 

    - And if they test negative, will they remain in the Bio Containment Unit or will they be moved to the quarantine unit with the rest of the passengers?

    -- Dr. David Fitter: 

    - We're coordinating with the University of Nebraska Medical Center to ensure appropriate disposition.

    -- Benjamin Haynes: 

    - Next question please.

    -- Operator:

    - Thank you. And as question comes from John LaPook with CBS News, your line is open.

    -- John LaPook:

    - Yeah, hi, thanks a lot. Two questions. First, quick, you say only you're only testing people with symptoms. Why not collect and store blood for research purposes or are you already doing that. And then do you believe you have all the potentially exposed people identified how many are outside of Nebraska and Atlanta and has anybody elected not to stay at home? And finally if you know it, can you tell us the cycle time for that PCR that was sort of inconclusive?

    -- Dr. David Fitter: 

    - So I'll start from the top and thank you for the questions. We are recommending that symptomatic people with an exposure risk get tested. However, we're also working with states and partners on ways to better understand the virus, for other testing modalities. We are working very closely with the states and local health departments and the passengers that are home and the contacts that are home. Everybody is working well together to ensure monitoring follows our recommendations.

    -- John LaPook:

    - And for the PCR? Do we have the actual number on that?

    -- Dr. David Fitter:

    - We're working to get all the information from the country where that test was run.

    -- John LaPook:

    - Okay, and we don't know the number of people who are outside of Nebraska and Atlanta?

    -- Dr. David Fitter:

    - With respect for privacy of all individuals, we're not sharing locations.

    -- Benjamin Haynes:

    - Next question please.

    -- Operator: 

    - Thank you and this question comes from Kevin Stewart with WAGA TV Fox 5 Atlanta. Your mic is open, you may ask your question.

    -- Kevin Stewart:

    - Good afternoon, regarding the Atlanta passengers. We know yesterday that one of the passengers tested negative. Will that person and the asymptomatic person be clear to leave before the 42 days are up? And also where, what is the status of the two Georgia passengers who got back home last week and are being monitored by the Department of Health here in Georgia?

    -- Dr. David Fitter: 

    - So again, with respect for the passengers that are in monitoring right now, I'm not going to go into a lot of details, but we're working very closely with Emory to ensure that they have the appropriate disposition. With regards to Georgia and the contacts that are here, we're working very closely with the state of Georgia health department and the local health departments to ensure that they are appropriately monitored.

    -- Kevin Stewart:

    - Will they be cleared, they can lead before the 42 days, correct?

    -- Dr. David Fitter:

    - They'll continue to be monitored.

    -- Kevin Stewart:    

    - But whether that is at Emory or at home.

    -- Dr. David Fitter:

    - Currently we're working on the appropriate disposition for them.But again, as you can imagine, out of respect for privacy for them, I'm going to stop there.

    -- Kevin Stewart:

    - Can you confirm they're still at Emory?

    -- Dr. David Fitter: Yes. 

    -- Benjamin Haynes:

    - We have time for two more questions, please.

    -- Operator:

    - Thank you. Our next question actually, we didn't get the name, but from WSB Channel 2, you may ask your question.

    -- Courtney Francisco:

    - Can you hear me? It's Courtney Francisco. I'm hoping you can tell me -- it went out on May 2nd. I need to know how many people are being monitored.

    -- Dr. David Fitter:

    - At this time, we're not putting out exact numbers. Again, we want to ensure that we are protecting and respecting the privacy of all the individuals.

    -- Benjamin Haynes:

    - Shirley we'll take one more if they have it.

    -- Operator:

    - Certainly, one second here. And we have a question from Lila Perry with Baltimore Sun, your line is open you may ask your question.

    -- Lila Perry:

    - Hi, thanks so much for doing this. Back to the topic of passengers on planes who were inadvertently exposed to people from the cruise ship. You know, when state departments of health are saying that they're monitoring these airline passengers, what does that look like if they're exposed from a distance or for a short time? Are they being monitored in state facilities or asked to stay home and how closely are you advising state partners to be monitoring these people?

    -- Dr. David Fitter:

    - We're working very closely to ensure that our guidance is consistent across all of the contacts. And for those on the -- that were contacts on the planes, they also would fall into the appropriate category and we're working with state and locals to ensure that those monitoring recommendations are followed very closely. And we're in such close coordination with their state and local health departments, talking with the them daily thus far it is working very well with the systems that they have in place and they're developing their systems themselves to ensure that it follows the guidance that we've put out.

    -- Benjamin Haynes:

    - Thank you, Dr. Fitter and thank you, Dr. Jackson. At this time we will conclude the call and we appreciate you all joining us for this brief update. Thank you.

    -- Operator:

    - Thank you and that does conclude today's conference. Thank you for your participation. And at this time you may disconnect your lines.

Source: 

Link: https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2026/transcript-update-on-cdcs-hantavirus-response.html

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