U.S. Passengers Repatriated to Nebraska Following M/V Hondius Hantavirus Outbreak

Seventeen American passengers have returned to the United States following a hantavirus outbreak aboard the M/V Hondius cruise ship in the Atlantic Ocean. The passengers arrived in Nebraska early Monday via a U.S. Government medical flight, where they are now under strict observation at the nation’s only federally funded quarantine center.

Medical Repatriation and Monitoring in Omaha

The passengers landed at Offutt Air Force Base near Omaha, Nebraska, before being transported to the National Quarantine Unit at the University of Nebraska Medical Center/Nebraska Medicine. At this specialized facility, a volunteer team of doctors and nurses is providing around-the-clock observation to monitor the health of the returning travelers.

Before their flight, the passengers were met in the Canary Islands, Spain, by a team of CDC epidemiologists and medical professionals. This team conducted comprehensive exposure risk assessments to determine the necessary level of monitoring for each individual upon their arrival in the U.S.

Patient Status and Biocontainment Measures

Out of an abundance of caution, two passengers traveled in specialized biocontainment units during the flight. According to the Department of Health and Human Services, one of these passengers exhibited mild symptoms, while another tested “mildly PCR positive” for the Andes virus.

Upon arrival in Omaha, officials from Nebraska Medicine confirmed that the passenger who tested positive—despite remaining asymptomatic—will be moved to a specialized biocontainment unit. The remaining passengers will be housed in the National Quarantine Unit for further assessment and monitoring.

Understanding the Andes Virus Strain

Hantavirus is a rare family of viruses typically carried by rodents. However, the World Health Organization identified the specific strain affecting the M/V Hondius passengers as the Andes virus. Unlike most hantaviruses, the Andes strain can be transmitted between humans who have had close contact.

The outbreak has had severe consequences; WHO officials report that the Andes strain has killed three passengers and caused five others to fall ill.

The National Quarantine Unit: A Specialized Defense

The quarantine facility in Omaha is specifically engineered to shelter and monitor individuals exposed to extremely serious infectious diseases. The unit features 20 single-occupancy rooms, each equipped with individual ventilation systems that continually expel air to prevent contamination.

This biocontainment infrastructure has a proven track record of managing high-consequence pathogens. It was originally activated in 2014 to treat U.S. Citizens evacuated from Africa during the Ebola virus outbreak, and it later provided critical care for some of the first Americans diagnosed with COVID-19 in 2020.

Public Health Risk and Ongoing Monitoring

The CDC has maintained that the risk to the general American public remains “extremely low.” This assessment comes despite the fact that seven Americans disembarked from the ship on April 24 and returned to the U.S. Via commercial flights before the outbreak was fully identified.

Because those seven individuals were asymptomatic at the time of travel, health officials determined there was no need to alert other passengers on those flights or conduct wide-scale contact tracing. However, several states—including Georgia, California, and Arizona—continue to monitor U.S. Residents who disembarked the ship early.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Andes virus?
The Andes virus is a strain of hantavirus. While most hantaviruses are spread through contact with infected rodent urine or droppings, the Andes strain is unique because it can spread between humans through close contact.

Why are passengers being sent to Nebraska?
Nebraska houses the National Quarantine Unit, the only federally funded facility of its kind in the U.S., designed with specialized ventilation and biocontainment units to safely monitor patients with high-risk infectious diseases.

Should the general public be concerned?
According to the CDC, the risk to the American public is extremely low, as the virus typically requires close contact for transmission and the majority of exposed passengers are being strictly monitored.