Last American Hantavirus Patients Released After 42-Day Cruise Ship Quarantine!
Last American Hantavirus Patients Released After 42-Day Cruise Ship Quarantine!
After a grueling 42-day quarantine following a hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship, the final American passengers have been released from a Nebraska facility. Get the full story on this unprecedented public health effor
The final eight American passengers who endured a challenging 42-day quarantine at a specialized hospital unit have been released in Nebraska. These individuals were isolated after exposure to an unusual hantavirus outbreak that originated on a cruise ship, an incident which tragically led to three deaths.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) confirmed the successful conclusion of this extensive quarantine effort on Monday, June 22, 2026. "Through close collaboration among federal, state, and local partners, HHS helped protect the American people, contain potential risks, and bring this response effort to a successful conclusion," stated HHS spokesperson Emily Hilliard.
The outbreak stemmed from the MV Hondius cruise ship. Early last month, over 120 people were evacuated from the vessel in Spain's Canary Islands. Among them were 18 Americans, who were subsequently transported to the National Quarantine Unit in Omaha, Nebraska. The majority of the evacuated passengers were from other countries. Prior to the official documentation of the outbreak, at least 30 other passengers, including seven Americans, had already disembarked the ship and were advised to self-monitor for symptoms at home.
Once the MV Hondius eventually docked in the Netherlands, 25 crew members and two medical personnel who remained on board were also placed under quarantine. Globally, the World Health Organization has yet to provide an update on the status of all other individuals who were quarantined in various locations. In total, 13 cases of the hantavirus were identified among those who had been on the ship, with three of those cases proving fatal.
One of the American passengers, Angela Perryman, shared her experience, stating she felt held against her will, despite a government medical expert's recommendation. Perryman reported that passengers were informed the quarantine monitoring period ended on Sunday at 2 PM. She left on a flight that same evening, with others departing on Monday. "We were locked in our rooms until 1:55," she recounted, highlighting the strict nature of their isolation.
