Interim Chancellor H. Dele Davies, MD, sent this message to UNMC faculty, staff and students Monday evening to update Nebraska’s response to hantavirus.
Dear UNMC faculty, staff and students,
Today we welcomed 16 repatriated Americans to our campus for monitoring and care following an outbreak of hantavirus aboard the MV Hondius cruise ship. The medical center is proud to respond and uniquely positioned to monitor and care for these individuals, and our teams are trained and ready for moments like these.
I want to assure you, the risk to the public remains very low, and all precautions are being taken to ensure the health and well-being of these passengers, as well as their health providers, the medical center community and the community at large.
We at UNMC and Nebraska Medicine have the utmost confidence in our National Quarantine Unit and Biocontainment Unit teams, who are working alongside federal, state and local partners. I am deeply grateful to the faculty, staff and clinical teams whose expertise, professionalism and compassion are guiding this response. Once again, Nebraska is demonstrating what it means to serve others — with skill, empathy and a deep commitment to the health and safety of our communities.
We will continue to provide updates in the days ahead, including Tuesday’s all-campus forum where I will be joined by Dr. Michael Wadman, the medical director of the National Quarantine Unit, and Dr. Angela Hewlett, the medical director of the Nebraska Biocontainment Unit.
Thank you for all you do.
Best,
Dele D.
H. Dele Davies, MD, MS, MHCM
Interim Chancellor
University of Nebraska Medical Center