Five American citizens who were aboard the MV Hondius cruise ship during a hantavirus outbreak have been discharged from medical monitoring and allowed to return to their home states, officials announced Tuesday.
The passengers had been under observation for three weeks at the National Quarantine Unit at the University of Nebraska Medical Center following the disease outbreak on the vessel.
Health officials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had mandated that these individuals remain at the facility until May 31 for monitoring purposes.
Medical center officials stated that the released passengers will undergo continued surveillance for an additional 21-day period under the supervision of their respective local and state health agencies.
The CDC reports that a total of 41 American citizens are currently being watched for potential infection. Of these individuals, 18 were passengers aboard the cruise ship who had already returned to the United States prior to health authorities identifying the hantavirus outbreak.
