90-Second Read: 17 Americans from Hantavirus-stricken cruise ship to quarantine in Nebraska: officials

The 17 passengers will be quarantined at the National Quarantine Unit at the University of Nebraska Medical Center and Nebraska Medicine, the hospital said on Friday. Officials have not released the identities of the travelers, but said quarantine measures are being taken out of caution because Hantavirus symptoms can take weeks to appear. The virus can initially cause flu-like symptoms such as fever, fatigue, and muscle aches before progressing in severe cases to dangerous respiratory complications known as Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome. Health authorities said the passengers will undergo medical observation after potential exposure to the rare but serious virus, which is typically spread through contact with infected rodent droppings, urine, or saliva. About two dozen Americans were on the ship, including some who disembarked in April and 17 who remained.

The Americans will be monitored closely while in quarantine and evaluated for any signs of illness. In early April, a 70-year-old Dutch man developed a feverish illness on a cruise ship traveling from Argentina to Antarctica and some islands in the South Atlantic. Hantavirus infections are considered rare in the U.S., but can be deadly. Thunderstorms, heavy rain, and lightning are expected by JESSICA A. The vessel -- MV Hondius -- is expected to arrive Sunday at the Spanish island of Tenerife, off the coast of West Africa, and passengers will be taken to a "completely isolated, cordoned-off area.

None of them are experiencing any symptoms, officials said. When pressed about the outbreak, President Donald Trump said he has no plans to reconsider leaving the World Health Organization, also known as WHO. More people became sick, including the man's wife and a German woman, who both died. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the disease carries a mortality rate of roughly 38% among patients who develop severe respiratory illness.

In 2025, Trump signed an executive order formally initiating the United States' withdrawal from WHO.