Seventeen Americans returned to the United States after weeks aboard a cruise ship where a deadly hantavirus outbreak killed three passengers and infected at least eight people across 23 countries.

Emergency Medical Flight From Canary Islands

The passengers disembarked from the MV Hondius cruise ship in the Canary Islands on Sunday and boarded a government-arranged medical flight to Nebraska. During the flight, one American tested mildly positive for the virus while another showed mild symptoms. Both traveled in specialized biocontainment units aboard the aircraft. The Dutch-flagged vessel departed southern Argentina on April 1 and made multiple stops across remote South Atlantic islands during its journey.

Quarantine At Nebraska Medical Center

After landing at Offutt Air Force Base near Omaha, most passengers headed to the National Quarantine Unit at the University of Nebraska Medical Center for evaluation. The facility previously received passengers during the Diamond Princess Cruise outbreak in early 2020, one of the first COVID-19 superspreading events. Dr. Ali Khan, dean of the College of Public Health at the medical center, stated the Americans arrived at the premier facility in the United States to receive care. Seven additional American passengers who left the cruise ship earlier are being monitored in Texas, California, Georgia, and Virginia.

Monitoring Period Extends Six Weeks

Health officials confirmed the returning passengers will be monitored for several more weeks, though they are not officially quarantined. Symptoms can take up to 42 days after exposure to appear, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Most passengers remain healthy and may continue monitoring at home with daily check-ins from local health departments. A French woman also tested positive for hantavirus after five French passengers returned to Paris on Sunday, French Health Minister Stephanie Rist announced.

Outbreak Unlikely To Spread

Scientists have studied hantaviruses, including the Andes variant responsible for this outbreak, for decades. The strain can be deadly but requires prolonged, close contact with symptomatic individuals to spread. Dr. Khan emphasized that while small clusters of disease can occur, no large outbreaks have emerged in 30 years of observation. The virus is unlikely to become a pandemic. Nearly 150 people from 23 countries remained isolated in their cruise cabins before repatriation efforts began.