17 Americans Evacuated from Hantavirus-Stricken Cruise Ship, Now in Nebraska Quarantine

Seventeen Americans who were aboard a cruise ship hit by a Hantavirus outbreak arrived in Omaha, Nebraska in the early morning hours Monday, along with one British citizen who lives in the United States. Health and Human Services officials say one of the Americans is showing mild symptoms, and another has tested mildly positive for the Andes strain of the virus.

The passengers spent their final hours on the ship anchored off Spain's Canary Islands before riding buses to shore Sunday, dressed in blue protective clothing and masks. They were then flown to the University of Nebraska Medical Center, where they are being held in a specialized quarantine unit. Two of the 18 have since been transferred to Emory University's biocontainment lab in Atlanta, including the symptomatic patient.

HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said federal agencies have been involved since the outbreak began. "We've had CDC teams on it from day one," Kennedy said, adding that the remaining passengers in Nebraska are being tested, monitored and given plans for returning home. "We have this under control and we're not worried about it."

Three people died on the ship after contracting the virus. About 150 people were on board when it arrived at the Canary Islands.

Health authorities are urging the public not to panic. Unlike COVID-19, Hantavirus does not spread easily from person to person, and officials say there is no reason to expect this outbreak to grow into a wider public health crisis.