The World Health Organization has confirmed five cases of the rare virus strain and is monitoring at least eight additional suspected cases. At least five states are now monitoring residents who returned from the MV Hondius, including Texas, Virginia, Georgia, Arizona, and California, none of which are showing symptoms.
Kentucky’s Secretary of the Cabinet for Health and Family Services, Dr. Steven Stack, who guided the state through the COVID pandemic, said he doesn’t believe there is significant risk to the population at large.
"The sad reason for that is because people who get that infection unfortunately have a very, very high mortality rate. It has a long incubation period as well, so up to 49 days for this to incubate," Stack said. "Because it has happened in a very contained way and all the people involved are known, they'll all be given very specific instructions, very specific guidance, and they'll all be monitored individually for a prolonged period of time. At the moment, there's no reason to believe this will turn into a larger risk or something like COVID."
Investigators believe the initial victims may have been exposed to infected rodents during a bird-watching trip in South America before boarding the ship on April 1st.
