 (6).png)
4 hours ago
1
ARTICLE AD BOX
Health officials said the Nebraska quarantine facility will assess passengers over several days before deciding whether they require extended isolation or can safely return home.
The Dutch flagged hantavirus-stricken cruise ship MV Hondius receives provisions from a boat in the port of Granadilla de Abona on the island of Tenerife in Spain's Canary Islands on May 11, 2026. (Photo by JORGE GUERRERO / AFP)(AFP)Seventeen American passengers evacuated from the MV Hondius are being monitored in the United States after a deadly hantavirus outbreak linked to the vessel sickened multiple passengers and triggered international health concerns.
US officials confirmed the Americans disembarked from the ship in Spain on Sunday (May 10) before flying to Offutt Air Force Base. Some passengers are expected to be transferred to the National Quarantine Center at the University of Nebraska Medical Center.
Where are Americans from MV Hondius going for quarantine?
The passengers are being evaluated at the federally funded Training, Simulation and Quarantine Center in Nebraska, the only national quarantine unit in the United States.
People also ask
AI powered insights from this story
Hantavirus is a rare group of illnesses caused by viruses carried by rodents. The Andes Hantavirus, the strain linked to the MV Hondius outbreak, is unique as it's the only known strain capable of spreading between people through close contact.
Seventeen American passengers evacuated from the MV Hondius are being monitored at the federally funded Training, Simulation and Quarantine Center at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha.
Officials have not set a fixed quarantine timeline. Passengers undergo ongoing medical monitoring. Those considered low-risk and symptom-free may quarantine at home, while others might remain at the Nebraska facility for observation and treatment.
According to the World Health Organization, at least six confirmed hantavirus cases and three deaths have been linked to the outbreak aboard the MV Hondius. Eight additional illnesses are under investigation.
The Andes strain of hantavirus can spread between people, but it requires close contact and is not airborne like influenza or COVID-19. Transmission is rare and typically occurs in settings like shared living spaces.
Officials said passengers will undergo medical screening and interviews conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to determine whether they were exposed to hantavirus.
At the University of Nebraska Medical Center, the passengers will be checked for symptoms and interviewed by CDC personnel,” Jay Bhattacharya, director of the National Institutes of Health, told CNN.
Nebraska Quarantine Unit monitoring cruise passengers
Health officials said the Nebraska quarantine facility will assess passengers over several days before deciding whether they require extended isolation or can safely return home.
“Over the next several days, passengers will undergo an initial health assessment and receive guidance on next steps from CDC experts,” said John Knox during a briefing at the University of Nebraska.
Bhattacharya said passengers considered low-risk — those without symptoms and no known close exposure — may be allowed to quarantine at home instead of remaining in Nebraska.
“CDC officials will extend an offer to stay in Nebraska if they’d like,” he said. “But they will be allowed to return home if they can get there without exposing other people on the way.”
American cruise passenger tests positive for hantavirus
US health authorities confirmed that one American passenger tested mildly positive for the Andes strain of hantavirus, while another passenger showed mild symptoms and was transferred to Atlanta for further testing.
According to the US Department of Health and Human Services, both individuals are undergoing additional evaluation.
A French passenger also tested positive during repatriation efforts, according to international reports.
How long will cruise passengers quarantine in Nebraska?
Officials have not announced a fixed quarantine timeline. Instead, passengers will undergo ongoing medical monitoring and symptom assessments over the coming days.
Those who remain symptom-free and are assessed as low risk may return home under monitoring by state and local health agencies.
Passengers who develop symptoms or choose voluntary quarantine can remain at the Nebraska facility for observation and treatment.
How many were on board MV Hondius?
Nearly 150 passengers and crew members from 23 countries were aboard the MV Hondius when the outbreak was first identified earlier this month.
The Netherlands-based expedition cruise, operated by Oceanwide Expeditions, departed from Argentina in March and traveled through Antarctica and other remote regions before heading toward waters near West Africa.
Spanish officials confirmed that 94 passengers from 19 nationalities were evacuated during the first phase of repatriation operations.
How many hantavirus cases linked to the ship?
According to the World Health Organization, at least six confirmed hantavirus cases and three deaths have been linked to the outbreak aboard the MV Hondius.
Eight additional illnesses are reportedly under investigation across multiple countries.
Four patients remain hospitalized in South Africa, Netherlands and Switzerland.
The outbreak was first detected after a British passenger became critically ill in Johannesburg on May 2, weeks after another passenger had died.
The ship remains docked in Tenerife and is expected to sail to Rotterdam with around 30 crew members once evacuations are completed.
English (US) ·