American passengers aboard hantavirus-hit cruise ship will quarantine in Nebraska, CDC says

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will quarantine 17 American passengers from the Dutch cruise ship *Hondius* in Nebraska upon their arrival in the U.S., following a hantavirus outbreak. A CDC team is traveling to the Canary Islands to meet the passengers, while the U.S. State Department coordinates their repatriation flight in collaboration with Spanish authorities, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and the WHO. Spanish health officials confirmed a 32-year-old woman from Alicante is hospitalized with suspected hantavirus after sitting two rows behind a passenger who later died on the same flight. The woman, identified by Spain’s Health Ministry, may receive test results within 24 to 48 hours. Spanish Secretary of State for Health Javier Padilla noted that others on the flight, including a Dutch flight attendant, tested negative. The outbreak has already claimed two lives: a Dutch woman removed from a Johannesburg-to-Amsterdam flight due to severe symptoms and a German national. The WHO reported five confirmed cases and three suspected cases, including a new alert in Tristan da Cunha, where the *Hondius* docked early in its voyage. British authorities confirmed a suspected case on the remote island, home to about 220 residents. The State Department emphasized its priority is the safety of Americans, maintaining direct communication with passengers and coordinating with health agencies. The cruise ship’s voyage has triggered global monitoring as officials trace potential exposure points across multiple countries.