The U.S. government is evacuating American passengers from a cruise ship linked to a hantavirus outbreak and will quarantine them at a facility in Nebraska.
The U.S. government is set to evacuate American passengers from a cruise ship associated with a hantavirus outbreak, with plans to transport them to a military base in Nebraska for quarantine and monitoring, federal health officials announced on Friday.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) stated that the risk to the American public remains extremely low as they proceed with a medical repatriation flight for passengers aboard the M/V Hondius. President Donald Trump commented earlier on Friday that the situation appears to be under control, noting the virus’s difficulty in transmission.
“We have very good people looking at it. It seems to be okay. They know the virus very well. They’ve worked with it for a long time. Not easy to pass on. So we hope that’s true,” he said.
Dr. Marc Siegel, a medical expert, described the outbreak as alarming but emphasized that fear is spreading faster than facts. He reiterated that the virus is not easily transferable, unlike COVID-19. “We seem to have things under very good control. They know that virus very well. It’s been around a long time. Not easily transferable,” he added.
The outbreak has escalated over several weeks, beginning with a passenger who fell ill in early April. This incident has since resulted in at least three deaths, according to the World Health Organization. Cases have now been reported across multiple countries after passengers disembarked in Africa and Europe, prompting health officials to trace contacts globally.
Authorities in Cape Verde previously blocked passengers from leaving the ship, highlighting concerns about containment. Hantavirus is a rare but potentially deadly disease typically spread through contact with infected rodents or their droppings, as noted by the CDC. While most strains do not spread between people, health officials have identified the Andes virus—linked to some cases associated with the cruise ship—as the only known strain capable of limited person-to-person transmission.
The vessel is expected to dock in Spain’s Canary Islands, where international teams are coordinating next steps for both passengers and crew. A CDC team has been deployed to the Canary Islands to assess potential exposure among American passengers and determine necessary monitoring protocols.
Returning passengers are anticipated to be flown on a U.S. government medical repatriation flight to Offutt Air Force Base in Omaha, Nebraska. Upon arrival, they will be transported to the National Quarantine Center at the University of Nebraska Medical Center for further monitoring. Additional CDC personnel will be stationed at Offutt Air Force Base to support health assessments.
As the situation develops, health officials continue to monitor the outbreak closely, ensuring that appropriate measures are in place to protect public health, according to Fox News.