90-Second Read: 17 Americans on cruise ship struck by Hantavirus return to U.S.

17 Americans returned early Monday morning from the cruise ship that was struck by the Hantavirus. Health officials say the Andes strain of Hantavirus connected to the outbreak can spread person-to-person in rare circumstances. The World Health Organization said the outbreak marks the first known Hantavirus outbreak aboard a cruise ship.

Seventeen American passengers evacuated from the MV Hondius arrived in Nebraska early Monday for quarantine and medical monitoring. A plane carrying 17 American passengers and one British citizen landed in Omaha, Nebraska, early Monday after departing from Spain's Canary Islands, where the MV Hondius had docked during a large international evacuation effort. Officials said the passenger who tested positive would be taken to the Nebraska Biocontainment Unit, while the remaining passengers would undergo evaluation and monitoring at the National Quarantine Unit.

The outbreak aboard the Dutch cruise ship has triggered a worldwide response as countries work to repatriate citizens and isolate potentially exposed passengers. Officials continue to recommend active health monitoring for passengers after they return home. Passengers were initially transported to the University of Nebraska Medical Center, home to a federally funded quarantine and biocontainment facility used during previous Ebola and COVID-19 responses, according to The Associated Press.