05/11/2026
CASA Benchmarking & ASCQR Deadlines are this Friday!
CDC and CDPH Hantavirus: Recommendations for Healthcare Providers
Key Messages
- An outbreak of Andes virus, a known species of hantavirus, has been reported on a cruise ship in the South Atlantic. This outbreak has an extremely low risk of spread or impact on the general public.
- As of 8 May, the World Health Organization (WHO) has reported a total of eight cases, including three deaths.
- As of May 9, the CDC has notified CDPH of three California residents who were passengers on the MV Hondius. One passenger has returned to California, and two are being repatriated to a Nebraska facility for evaluation before returning to California.
- In addition, a fourth traveler, not on the ship, but while overseas, became a close contact with a known case. This person also returned to California.
- CDPH is supporting the local health departments in the two counties of residence of the two returned travelers in conducting ongoing public health monitoring.
- Plans for the repatriation of the other passengers are still being finalized. CDC is planning to conduct health assessments before passengers return home. CDPH will notify local health departments of resident passengers still aboard.
- Andes virus is the only species of hantavirus with known person-to-person transmission, and is endemic to South America. The most common hantavirus in North America, Sin Nombre Virus, does not spread person-to-person.
- CDPH is in close contact with CDC and the WHO. This is an evolving situation, and information is current as of May 11. New or changing information will be updated as it becomes available.
Recommendations for Healthcare Providers
- Be prepared to follow CDC's guidance under Appendix A: Type and Duration of Precautions Recommended for Selected Infections and Conditions | Infection Control | CDC.
- In healthcare settings, for patients with suspected or confirmed Andes virus infection, CDC recommends patient placement in an airborne infection isolation room and the use of a gown, gloves, eye protection, and an N95 or higher-level respirator when entering the patient's room.
- Include HPS in the differential diagnosis for an ill person who has compatible symptoms AND who has reported epidemiological risk factors, including at least one of the following, within the 42 days before symptoms onset:
- Had direct physical contact, or spent time in close or enclosed spaces, with a symptomatic person with confirmed or suspected Andes virus infection or with any objects contaminated by their body fluids.
- Had exposure to an infected person's saliva, respiratory secretions, or other body fluids (e.g., kissing, sharing utensils, handling contaminated bedding).
- Experienced a breach in infection prevention and control precautions that resulted in potential contact with body fluids of a patient with suspected or confirmed Andes virus infection.
- Consider and perform diagnostic testing for more common illnesses as well, such as COVID-19, influenza, and other common causes of gastrointestinal and febrile illnesses in an acutely ill patient with epidemiological risk factors and compatible symptoms.
CASA's Benchmarking Program
The CASA Benchmarking Program is open for data entry for the 1st quarter of 2026 and closes this Friday, May 15, 2026. Patients, payors, accrediting agencies, and regulators want to see ASC outcome data, and the CASA benchmarking program helps your ASC compare its statistics.
Remember, CASA Benchmarking is free to CASA members and is a tremendous benefit. The more members that participate, the stronger the data is. If you are new to using the program or need a refresher, CASA has developed a tutorial webinar. In addition, there are several tools to help you gather the data for each quarter. You can access the webinar and tools at CASA Benchmarking Resources.
The CASA Benchmarking program does ask for a separate login and password from the CASA Website. If you need this information, please reach out to CASA Executive Director Karen Reiter at info@casurgery.org or 530.790.7990.
CASA Benchmarking Resources
ASCQR Reporting
The next deadline for submitting Ambulatory Surgical Center Quality Reporting (ASCQR) Program data for several measures is this Friday, May 15. ASCs must submit 2025 data via the Hospital Quality Reporting secure portal for:
- ASC-1: Patient Burn
- ASC-2: Patient Fall
- ASC-3: Wrong Site, Wrong Side, Wrong Patient, Wrong Procedure, Wrong Implant
- ASC-4: All-Cause Hospital Transfer/Admission
- ASC-9: Endoscopy/Polyp Surveillance: Appropriate Follow-Up Interval for Normal Colonoscopy in Average Risk Patients
- ASC-13: Normothermia Outcome
- ASC-14: Unplanned Anterior Vitrectomy
ASCs that fail to report by the deadline are subject to a 2% penalty on future Medicare reimbursement. There is a low-volume exemption for facilities with fewer than 240 Medicare claims.