Working in coordination with local, state and federal collaborators, Emory University Hospital’s Serious Communicable Diseases Unit has received two passengers from the MV Hondius cruise ship following a hantavirus outbreak onboard. One symptomatic individual is receiving care in Emory’s biocontainment unit, and one asymptomatic individual — who has been in close contact with a symptomatic individual — is undergoing evaluation and monitoring.

"We have been preparing for years for viruses such as Andes viruses, and we are well aware of how hantaviruses affect the human body," says Aneesh Mehta, MD, chief of infectious diseases at Emory University Hospital. "Our physician colleagues and health care colleagues around the country, around the world have been treating patients in years past with these types of viruses. We are prepared to recognize, identify, isolate and inform when there is a concern for serious communicable diseases."

Created in 2002, the Serious Communicable Diseases Program in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is a globally recognized program that provides training and best practices regarding care for patients with suspected or confirmed infectious diseases.

"When there is an infectious disease outbreak and we get the call, our team acts swiftly, demonstrating the expertise needed to care for those involved and the knowledge to calm fears," says Joon S. Lee, MD, executive vice president for Woodruff Health Sciences and CEO of Emory Healthcare. "We are here to support and create healthy communities for those we serve."

Emory University Hospital is part of the Regional Emerging Special Pathogen Treatment Center network within the federally supported National Special Pathogen System, which provides specialized capabilities for safely managing high-consequence infectious diseases.