All 18 U.S.-resident passengers who were aboard the MV Hondius cruise ship during a hantavirus outbreak have now returned to their home states, the University of Nebraska Medical Center announced Monday.
The passengers completed their monitoring period at the center’s National Quarantine Unit. Sixteen of them arrived at the facility on May 11, following their voyage on the ship connected to the outbreak. Two additional former passengers checked into the National Quarantine Unit on May 15.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed that the outbreak did not lead to any hantavirus cases on American soil, stating, “No cases of hantavirus disease occurred in the United States as a result of this outbreak.”
Earlier this month, eight of the U.S. residents had already been cleared to go home after spending three weeks under observation at the National Quarantine Unit, while the remaining ten continued to be monitored.
The World Health Organization recommends that high-risk contacts be monitored and quarantined for 42 days following exposure to hantavirus. Those considered lower risk are advised to keep a close watch on their own health and seek medical attention if any symptoms appear.
