Trending Now - Passengers From Infected Cruise Ship Face Quarantine in Nebraska

WHO:

NBC News - Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen stated, "We're glad that you're here. We're going to ensure that you have the best world-class care possible."

NBC News - Dr. Michael Ash, CEO of Nebraska Medicine, said, "We are prepared for situations exactly like this."

CBS News - World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated, "our work is not over" to contain hantavirus after evacuations from the cruise ship.

CBS News - Jay Bhattacharya, acting director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, emphasized that the risk to the public from hantavirus is "much, much lower" than what was seen with the COVID-19 pandemic.

NBC News - Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen stated, "We're glad that you're here. We're going to ensure that you have the best world-class care possible."

NBC News - Adm. Brian Christine, the assistant secretary for health at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, said, "The risk of hantavirus to the general public remains very, very low."

NBC News - Dr. Michael Ash, CEO of Nebraska Medicine, stated, "We are prepared for situations exactly like this."

NBC News - Dr. Angela Hewlett, medical director of the biocontainment unit, emphasized that the facility operates independently from the quarantine unit.

NBC News - 18 Americans were evacuated from the MV Hondius cruise ship.

NPR - The passengers included 15 U.S. citizens and one dual U.S.-British citizen.

ABC11 Raleigh-Durham - A North Carolina resident is among those quarantined.

Gothamist - Three passengers from New York City, Orange, and Westchester counties were on the cruise.

WHAT:

NBC News - One passenger tested mildly positive for hantavirus and another showed symptoms, both placed in isolation.

NBC News - Two additional U.S. passengers from the cruise ship, a couple, were transferred for monitoring to Emory University Hospital, with one showing symptoms of hantavirus.

CBS News - The World Health Organization reported at least nine cases of hantavirus, including three deaths, as of a recent update.

ABC11 Raleigh-Durham - The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services confirmed that one person from North Carolina was on board the ship and has been evacuated to the National Quarantine Unit in Nebraska.

NBC News - Two additional U.S. passengers from the cruise ship were transferred for monitoring to Emory University Hospital, with one showing symptoms of hantavirus.

NBC News - The World Health Organization reported at least nine cases of hantavirus, including three deaths, as of a recent update.

NBC News - Two additional U.S. passengers from the cruise ship, a couple, were transferred for monitoring to Emory University Hospital, with one showing symptoms of hantavirus.

NBC News - The World Health Organization reported at least nine cases of hantavirus, including three deaths, as of a recent update.

NBC News - The full quarantine period for hantavirus is confirmed to be 42 days, but asymptomatic patients may go home if they remain symptom-free.

NBC News - Two additional U.S. passengers from the cruise ship were transferred for monitoring to Emory University Hospital, with one showing symptoms of hantavirus.

NBC News - The National Quarantine Unit was completed in late 2019 at a cost of nearly $20 million.

NBC News - The biocontainment unit has a 10-bed capacity and was dedicated in 2005.

NBC News - The quarantine unit features 20 negative-pressure rooms designed to keep potentially harmful particles from escaping.

CBS News - More than 120 passengers and crew on the MV Hondius were flown out from Spain's Canary Islands on Sunday and Monday.

CBS News - Countries have adopted different health measures for their returning evacuees, with most following the WHO's guidelines, which include a 42-day quarantine.

NBC News - Two additional U.S. passengers from the cruise ship, a couple, were transferred for monitoring to Emory University Hospital, with one showing symptoms of hantavirus.

NBC News - The full quarantine period for hantavirus is confirmed to be 42 days, but asymptomatic patients may go home if they remain symptom-free.

NBC News - Two additional U.S. passengers from the cruise ship were transferred for monitoring to Emory University Hospital.

NBC News - The World Health Organization reported at least nine cases of hantavirus, including three deaths.

Fox News - Two Maryland residents are being monitored for hantavirus exposure after sharing a flight with an infected passenger.

NBC News - One passenger tested mildly positive for hantavirus, and another showed symptoms, both placed in isolation.

NPR - Sixteen of the 18 passengers were transferred to the National Quarantine Unit in Omaha for evaluation.

NPR - One patient tested positive for hantavirus and is housed in the Nebraska Biocontainment Unit.

NBC News - Asymptomatic Americans may continue isolation and symptom monitoring from home after the quarantine period.

NPR - The full quarantine period for hantavirus is 42 days.

WHERE:

NBC News - The National Quarantine Unit is located at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, which is the only federally funded quarantine unit in the U.S.

NPR - Sixteen of the 18 passengers transferred to the U.S. from a cruise ship where there was an outbreak of hantavirus arrived in Omaha, Neb., for evaluation after disembarking the vessel in Spain's Canary Islands.

CBS News - The MV Hondius was anchored offshore the capital Praia in Cape Verde, which refused to receive the ship.

NBC News - The National Quarantine Unit is located at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, which is the only federally funded quarantine unit in the U.S.

NBC News - The National Quarantine Unit is the only federally funded quarantine unit in the U.S.

NBC News - The evacuated passengers arrived at medical facilities in Omaha and Atlanta.

NPR - The National Quarantine Unit is located at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha.

ABC11 Raleigh-Durham - The North Carolina resident was evacuated to the National Quarantine Unit in Nebraska.

WHEN:

CBS News - The evacuation of passengers and crew from the MV Hondius occurred on Sunday and Monday.

NPR - The passengers arrived in Omaha on a Monday after disembarking the cruise ship in Spain's Canary Islands over the weekend.

NPR - The biocontainment unit was dedicated in 2005 and has a 10-bed capacity.

WHY:

CBS News - World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated, "There is no sign that we are seeing the start of a larger outbreak," regarding the hantavirus situation.

NBC News - The outbreak of hantavirus on the cruise ship has been identified as the Andes strain, which can cause severe respiratory disease and is rarely spread from person-to-person.

CBS News - The outbreak of hantavirus on the cruise ship has been identified as the Andes strain, which can cause severe respiratory disease and is rarely spread from person-to-person.

NBC News - The outbreak of hantavirus on the cruise ship has been identified as the Andes strain, which can cause severe respiratory disease and is rarely spread from person-to-person.

CBS News - The MV Hondius presented diplomatic challenges as different countries negotiated over who would receive it and treat its passengers.

NBC News - The outbreak of hantavirus on the cruise ship has been identified as the Andes strain, which can cause severe respiratory disease and is rarely spread from person-to-person.

NBC News - The outbreak of hantavirus on the cruise ship has been identified as the Andes strain, which can be spread, though rarely, from person-to-person.

NPR - The outbreak of hantavirus on the cruise ship was identified as the Andes strain, which can cause severe respiratory disease.

NPR - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that the Andes variant requires prolonged, close contact for transmission.

HOW:

NBC News - The biocontainment unit was used in 2014 to treat two doctors infected with Ebola.

NBC News - The biocontainment unit operates independently with its own air-handling system and uses rooftop HEPA filtration.

CBS News - Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez defended his government's policy, stating that "the world does not need more selfishness or more fear. What it needs are countries that show solidarity and want to step forward."

NBC News - The quarantine unit features 20 negative-pressure rooms designed to keep potentially harmful particles from escaping.

NBC News - The biocontainment unit was used in 2014 to treat two doctors infected with Ebola.

NPR - The National Quarantine Unit features 20 negative-pressure rooms to prevent harmful particles from escaping.

NPR - The biocontainment unit operates independently with its own air-handling system and uses rooftop HEPA filtration.

(UPDATED May 12, 2026 23:18 UTC)

A passenger on a cruise ship tested mildly positive for hantavirus, prompting the isolation of another passenger showing symptoms, while two additional U.S. passengers, a couple, were transferred to Emory University Hospital for monitoring. The World Health Organization has reported at least nine cases of hantavirus, including three deaths, and one individual from North Carolina who was on board the ship has been evacuated to the National Quarantine Unit in Nebraska. However, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus reassured the public that there is no indication of a larger outbreak occurring at this time.

(UPDATED May 12, 2026 19:29 UTC)

Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen expressed his commitment to providing world-class care for those affected by the recent hantavirus outbreak, while Dr. Michael Ash, CEO of Nebraska Medicine, assured that they are prepared for such situations. Two additional U.S. passengers from the cruise ship have been transferred to Emory University Hospital for monitoring, with one displaying symptoms of the virus, as the World Health Organization reports at least nine cases, including three fatalities. The National Quarantine Unit at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, the only federally funded quarantine unit in the U.S., is equipped with a biocontainment unit that operates independently, featuring its own air-handling system and rooftop HEPA filtration.

(UPDATED May 12, 2026 15:50 UTC)

A couple of U.S. passengers from a cruise ship have been transferred to Emory University Hospital for monitoring, with one showing symptoms of hantavirus, as the World Health Organization reports at least nine cases, including three fatalities. Sixteen of the eighteen passengers who were evacuated from the ship, where an outbreak of the Andes strain of hantavirus occurred, have arrived in Omaha, Nebraska, for evaluation after disembarking in Spain's Canary Islands. The full quarantine period for hantavirus is confirmed to be 42 days, although asymptomatic patients may be allowed to go home if they remain symptom-free.

(UPDATED May 12, 2026 13:29 UTC)

Two additional U.S. passengers from a cruise ship have been transferred to Emory University Hospital for monitoring, with one showing symptoms of hantavirus, specifically the Andes strain, which can lead to severe respiratory disease. The National Quarantine Unit, completed in late 2019 at a cost of nearly $20 million, features 20 negative-pressure rooms designed to contain potentially harmful particles, while the biocontainment unit, dedicated in 2005, operates independently with its own air-handling system and rooftop HEPA filtration. This outbreak is notable as hantavirus is rarely spread from person to person.

(UPDATED May 12, 2026 11:35 UTC)

The World Health Organization chief, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, has stated that "our work is not over" in the effort to contain hantavirus, following the evacuation of over 120 passengers and crew from the MV Hondius, which was anchored offshore Cape Verde. Jay Bhattacharya, acting director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, reassured the public that the risk from hantavirus is "much, much lower" than what was experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic, while countries have implemented various health measures for returning evacuees, generally adhering to WHO guidelines that include a 42-day quarantine. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez emphasized the need for global solidarity, asserting that "the world does not need more selfishness or more fear," as nations navigated diplomatic challenges regarding the ship's reception and the treatment of its passengers.

(UPDATED May 12, 2026 07:50 UTC)

Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen expressed his commitment to providing world-class care for those affected by the recent hantavirus outbreak, while Adm. Brian Christine from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reassured the public that the risk remains very low. Two passengers from a cruise ship, including one showing symptoms, have been transferred to Emory University Hospital for monitoring, as the full quarantine period for hantavirus is 42 days, although asymptomatic patients may return home if they remain symptom-free. The National Quarantine Unit at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, the only federally funded quarantine unit in the country, is equipped with 20 negative-pressure rooms to contain any potentially harmful particles.

(UPDATED May 12, 2026 04:11 UTC)

The World Health Organization has reported at least nine cases of hantavirus, including three fatalities, linked to an outbreak on a cruise ship involving the Andes strain, which can be transmitted, though rarely, between people. In response, two additional U.S. passengers from the ship have been transferred for monitoring to Emory University Hospital, while Dr. Michael Ash, CEO of Nebraska Medicine, assured that they are prepared for situations exactly like this. Notably, the National Quarantine Unit, the only federally funded quarantine unit in the U.S., operates independently from the biocontainment unit, which previously treated two doctors infected with Ebola in 2014.

(UPDATED May 12, 2026 01:29 UTC)

Eighteen Americans were evacuated from the MV Hondius cruise ship, including fifteen U.S. citizens and one dual U.S.-British citizen, with a North Carolina resident among those quarantined. Two Maryland residents are currently being monitored for hantavirus exposure after sharing a flight with an infected passenger, with one of those passengers testing mildly positive and another showing symptoms. Sixteen of the evacuated passengers were transferred to the National Quarantine Unit at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha for evaluation, where one patient tested positive for hantavirus and is housed in the biocontainment unit. The outbreak on the cruise ship has been identified as the Andes strain of hantavirus, which can cause severe respiratory disease and requires prolonged, close contact for transmission. Asymptomatic Americans may continue their isolation and symptom monitoring from home after the full quarantine period of 42 days.