Key Takeaway:
- Hantavirus cruise ship outbreak forces 17 U.S. passengers evacuated from an affected vessel to undergo medical monitoring in Nebraska after disembarking in Spain..
- One passenger tested positive, and another shows mild symptoms; both traveled in biocontainment units as a precaution.
- Health officials say public risk remains low, with passengers monitored for 42 days during the virus incubation period.
Seventeen American passengers evacuated from a hantavirus-affected cruise ship arrive in Nebraska for medical monitoring after disembarking in Spain, as U.S. health officials work to prevent potential spread following three reported deaths.
Americans Undergo Evaluation After Cruise Ship Evacuation
U.S. officials are transporting 17 Americans and one British resident from the MV Hondius cruise ship to Nebraska for health monitoring after the Hantavirus cruise ship outbreak linked to the vessel left three passengers dead and several others ill.
The travelers disembarked on Sunday in Tenerife, Spain’s Canary Islands, wearing protective clothing and masks before boarding flights back to the United States. The World Health Organization says the outbreak began in April and may involve rare person-to-person transmission of the Andes strain of hantavirus.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said one American passenger tested positive but remains asymptomatic, while another reported mild symptoms. Both were transported in biocontainment units “out of an abundance of caution,” the agency said in a statement posted on X.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention staff evaluated the passengers in Tenerife before departure. Spanish health authorities reported that evacuees showed no symptoms during initial screening at the port.
Nebraska Facility Prepares Specialized Monitoring
Upon arrival in Omaha, passengers affected by the Hantavirus cruise ship outbreak will undergo further assessment at the National Quarantine Unit at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, the only federally funded quarantine facility in the United States designed for high-consequence infectious diseases.
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said the passengers will arrive by airlift for observation rather than formal quarantine. The facility includes 20 private rooms equipped with negative air-pressure systems, en-suite bathrooms, and communication access for extended stays.
Dr. H. Dele Davis, interim chancellor of the medical center, said clinicians will monitor passengers for early symptoms such as fever, muscle aches, and gastrointestinal illness. Testing will be conducted only if symptoms appear, consistent with CDC guidance.
“If someone becomes ill, they can immediately be transferred to the biocontainment unit on site,” Davis said. The specialized unit previously treated Ebola patients in 2014 and early COVID-19 cases from the Diamond Princess cruise ship.
National Institutes of Health Director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya said health officials will interview passengers to determine exposure risk. Travelers classified as low risk may return home after assessment if safety protocols allow.
“We can safely transport them home without exposing others,” Bhattacharya said during a television interview Sunday.
Officials Stress Low Public Risk as Monitoring Continues
After leaving Nebraska, passengers returning home will be monitored daily for 42 days, following the Hantavirus cruise ship outbreak, reflecting the virus’s incubation period, which can last up to six weeks. Public health agencies in each traveler’s home state will oversee follow-up care.
CDC officials said passengers who remain symptom-free will not be quarantined but may receive recommendations to limit large social interactions during monitoring.
Hantavirus typically spreads through exposure to rodent urine or droppings. The Andes strain linked to the outbreak can rarely spread between people during close, prolonged contact, according to WHO officials.
The outbreak was first reported on May 2 and is considered a low risk to the general public. As of May 8, eight total cases were connected to the cruise ship, including six laboratory-confirmed infections.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus sought to ease public concern, saying the incident is “not another COVID-19.”
Seven additional American passengers who left the ship earlier are already under monitoring in multiple states, including Arizona, California, Georgia, Texas, and Virginia.
Health authorities continue to track exposures internationally as investigations into transmission aboard the vessel remain ongoing.
