Hantavirus update: CDC confirms 2 brought to Omaha facility ordered to quarantine

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed on May 18, 2026, that two passengers from the M/V Hondius cruise ship were placed under mandatory quarantine at the National Quarantine Unit in Omaha, Nebraska. The orders, signed by CDC’s Acting Director under the Public Health Service Act, require these passengers to remain in isolation for at least two weeks after one woman initially planned to leave. Eighteen passengers repatriated from the cruise ship were initially requested to stay at the Nebraska facility until May 31, completing their 21-day monitoring period. Earlier, officials had encouraged voluntary compliance, but the CDC now insists on full adherence to prevent further spread. The facility, operated by UNMC-Nebraska Medicine, is the only federally funded quarantine unit in the U.S., equipped with 20 negative-air-pressure rooms to contain infectious diseases. The CDC stated it will continue coordinating with state and local health authorities to ensure passenger safety. Since the ship’s disembarkation, three additional hantavirus cases have been reported—one each in France, Spain, and Canada. The two quarantined passengers were transferred after returning mixed test results, while the rest remain under observation. The facility’s strict protocols reflect the seriousness of hantavirus exposure. Passengers arrived in Omaha on May 11, with two additional individuals added on May 15. The CDC emphasized that quarantine remains a critical public health measure to protect communities from high-consequence infectious diseases.