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Cruise Ship · Hantavirus · Public Health · Quarantine
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) confirmed the end of a 42-day quarantine for the last eight American passengers exposed to an Andes hantavirus outbreak on the MV Hondius cruise ship, which resulted in three deaths and 13 total cases, with all passengers now released from the National Quarantine Unit in Omaha, Nebraska.
Over 120 individuals were evacuated from the MV Hondius in Spain's Canary Islands, including 18 Americans who were transferred to the Nebraska facility. Seven other Americans had disembarked earlier and monitored for symptoms at home.
The 42-day monitoring period was established based on the virus's known incubation time, and no quarantined Americans developed the illness. HHS spokesperson Emily Hilliard stated that close collaboration among federal, state, and local partners successfully protected the American people and contained potential risks.
One passenger, Angela Perryman, was controversially held against her will after Florida officials refused to provide round-the-clock surveillance if she returned home. The Andes virus, typically spread through rodent droppings, can transmit human-to-human in rare cases.
The World Health Organization has not yet provided an update on the status of other quarantined individuals globally.
