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Two Cruise Patients Discharged; Outbreak Deemed Low Threat

5/16/2026

Summary

Story summary

Two Georgia passengers exposed on the MV Hondius cruise were discharged from Emory University Hospital on May 16.
One passenger showed mild symptoms and tested negative for the Andes variant, while the other stayed asymptomatic.
Sixteen American evacuees remain asymptomatic in the University of Nebraska Medical Center biocontainment unit.
The CDC and WHO deem the outbreak’s public health threat low because transmission needs prolonged close contact with bodily fluids.

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Story summary

Two Georgia passengers exposed on the MV Hondius cruise were discharged from Emory University Hospital on May 16.
One passenger showed mild symptoms and tested negative for the Andes variant, while the other stayed asymptomatic.
Sixteen American evacuees remain asymptomatic in the University of Nebraska Medical Center biocontainment unit.
The CDC and WHO deem the outbreak’s public health threat low because transmission needs prolonged close contact with bodily fluids.