Americans from Hantavirus-Affected Cruise Ship Monitored in Nebraska

Sixteen U.S. citizens from the MV Hondius cruise ship, which experienced a hantavirus outbreak, arrived in Omaha, Nebraska, on Monday for evaluation. Fifteen individuals are being monitored in the National Quarantine Unit, while one passenger who tested positive for the virus is housed in the Nebraska Biocontainment Unit.

The National Quarantine Unit, located at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC), is the only federally funded quarantine facility in the United States. It is designed to safely house and monitor individuals exposed to high-consequence infectious diseases.

Dr. Michael Ash, CEO of Nebraska Medicine, stated, "We are prepared for situations exactly like this. Our teams have trained for decades alongside federal and state partners to make sure we can safely provide care while protecting our staff and the broader community. We are proud to support this national effort."

The MV Hondius, a Dutch-flagged vessel, experienced an outbreak of the Andes strain of hantavirus, which is rare but can be transmitted from person to person. The World Health Organization has reported at least nine cases, including three deaths.

Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen assured the public of the safety measures in place, stating, "We're working diligently to ensure no one leaves the security in an unsecured way at an inappropriate time. No one poses a risk to public health, just walking out the front door of the streets of Omaha."

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has activated its Emergency Operations Centers and classified the hantavirus outbreak as "Level 3," the lowest level of emergency alert.

The National Quarantine Unit features 20 negative-pressure rooms designed to prevent the escape of potentially harmful particles by maintaining lower air pressure inside than outside the rooms. The single-occupancy rooms provide patients with attached bathrooms, exercise equipment, and Wi-Fi.

The Nebraska Biocontainment Unit, a highly specialized facility designed to care for patients with high-consequence infectious diseases, was used in 2014 to treat two doctors infected with Ebola.

The full quarantine period for hantavirus is 42 days, but patients may be allowed to go home if they remain asymptomatic.

The CDC has deployed a team to the Canary Islands as part of the response to the outbreak, which has resulted in three deaths and multiple confirmed infections.

The risk of hantavirus to the general public remains very low, according to health officials.