Seventeen American cruise passengers landed at a Nebraska military base Monday after weeks of isolation aboard a ship at the center of a deadly virus outbreak that has killed three people and infected at least eight others across 23 countries.
Americans Escape Hantavirus Horror
The passengers disembarked in the Canary Islands on Sunday before boarding a government-arranged medical flight to Offutt Air Force Base near Omaha. During the flight, one American tested positive for hantavirus while another showed symptoms. Both traveled in specialized biocontainment units to prevent any spread of the rare but potentially deadly disease.
The MV Hondius departed southern Argentina on April 1, sailing across the South Atlantic with stops at remote islands. Nearly 150 people from 23 countries were aboard when the outbreak began. Three passengers have died, and a French woman tested positive after five French nationals were repatriated to Paris on Sunday. The World Health Organization confirmed at least eight total cases as the crisis unfolded.
Nebraska Medical Center Takes Control
Most passengers will head to the National Quarantine Unit at the University of Nebraska Medical Center for evaluation. The facility previously handled passengers from the Diamond Princess cruise during one of the first COVID-19 superspreading events in early 2020. Dr. Ali Khan, dean of the College of Public Health at UNMC, assured arriving passengers they were coming to the premier facility in the nation, if not the world, for specialized care.
The symptomatic passenger will proceed to a separate specialized treatment center, though officials did not specify the location. Seven other American passengers who left the cruise earlier are being monitored in Texas, California, Georgia, and Virginia. Health officials confirmed the passengers will not be officially quarantined but will undergo clinical assessments, with some continuing monitoring at home through daily health department check-ins.
Virus Threat Remains Limited
Unlike COVID-19, scientists have studied hantaviruses for decades, particularly the Andes variant responsible for this outbreak. The virus can be deadly but spreads slowly between people, requiring prolonged close contact with symptomatic individuals. Dr. Khan emphasized that despite small clusters of disease over 30 years, no large outbreaks have ever occurred, making a pandemic extremely unlikely. Symptoms can take up to 42 days after exposure to appear, requiring extended monitoring of all passengers who were aboard the infected vessel.
