American passengers from hantavirus-hit cruise ship arrive back in the U.S.

Seventeen American passengers from the hantavirus-affected cruise ship *Hondius* landed at Omaha Eppley Airfield in Nebraska at 2:30 a.m. ET on Monday aboard a State Department plane. Two passengers traveled in biocontainment units as a precaution, while one tested positive for the Andes variant of hantavirus and another with mild symptoms was sent to a separate facility. U.S. health officials emphasized the low public risk, stating the virus requires prolonged close contact with symptomatic individuals. The Spanish Health Ministry clarified the positive test result as inconclusive, citing one lab’s weak positive and another’s negative, despite the patient showing no symptoms in Cape Verde. Further testing is ongoing. A British national with U.S. citizenship was also on the flight, and officials noted symptoms in quarantine do not confirm infection. Meanwhile, a French passenger repatriated to Paris tested positive and her condition deteriorated overnight. The Spanish ministry confirmed the French woman fell ill during the flight, reiterating measures to prevent transmission. The *Hondius*, a Dutch-flagged luxury cruise ship, departed Argentina on April 1 with nearly 150 passengers for a remote nature tour. Three deaths and two suspected cases occurred before it docked in Tenerife on Sunday, with disembarkation ongoing. The ship’s operator reported the process would finish by Monday evening. The vessel’s journey included a stop at St. Helena, where a Dutch passenger died at sea 11 days after departure. His widow traveled from there to Johannesburg, though further details were not provided.