CDC Confirms Nebraska Quarantine For US Passengers From Hantavirus Cruise Ship

American passengers returning from the hantavirus-affected cruise ship MV Hondius will be placed under quarantine at a secured medical facility in Nebraska, according to local media reports citing officials from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The decision comes as part of a broader containment and monitoring effort following confirmed infections and fatalities linked to the outbreak aboard the vessel.

The passengers are expected to be received at the National Quarantine Unit located on the campus of the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha. The facility is designed for handling high-risk infectious disease cases under controlled conditions. Dr. Michael Wadman confirmed that the incoming passengers will be monitored closely upon arrival to ensure any potential symptoms are quickly identified and managed.

The cruise ship MV Hondius, which was at the centre of the outbreak, is expected to reach Tenerife in Spain’s Canary Islands on Sunday, where remaining passengers are being processed for repatriation. U.S. authorities have confirmed that arrangements are being made to bring 17 American citizens back home via a government-coordinated flight, organized in coordination with the U.S. State Department.

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A spokesperson from the U.S. State Department stated that several American passengers who had already returned separately are currently isolating at home across five different states. Officials have reported that none of these individuals are showing symptoms of hantavirus infection so far, though they remain under medical observation as a precautionary measure.

The CDC has reportedly activated its Emergency Operations Centers and classified the situation as a Level 3 activation, which represents a moderate public health response requiring enhanced coordination and monitoring. Health authorities emphasized that while the alert level is not the highest, it reflects the seriousness of managing potential cross-border infectious disease exposure linked to travel.

Meanwhile, Spanish health authorities continue contact tracing efforts related to the outbreak. Spain’s Center for Coordination of Health Alerts and Emergencies (CCAES) confirmed that a second monitored contact has been identified after tracing a passenger who had shared a flight with a deceased Dutch traveller. The individual, currently asymptomatic, has been placed under observation as part of updated surveillance protocols designed to track potential secondary exposures.

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