90-Second Read: Nebraska Medicine and UNMC Asked to Monitor U.S. Citizens Following Cruise Ship Hantavirus Outbreak

Nebraska Medicine and the University of Nebraska Medical Center have been asked by federal partners to receive and monitor U.S. citizens from the cruise ship associated with a Hantavirus outbreak. Nebraska Medicine and UNMC are working closely with the Douglas County Health Department, Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, and federal health partners to coordinate the effort. Nebraska Medicine and UNMC have a long history of responding to global infectious disease threats.

These individuals will be observed in the National Quarantine Unit, located on the campus of Nebraska Medical Center and UNMC. The National Quarantine Unit is the only federally funded quarantine unit in the United States, designed specifically to safely house and monitor people who may have been exposed to high-consequence infectious diseases. WHO currently assesses the risk to the global population from this event as low and continues to monitor the situation.

The organization safely treated patients during the 2014 Ebola outbreak and cared for some of the first Americans diagnosed with COVID-19 in 2020. They are committed to maintaining the advanced skills necessary for attending to the unique needs of individuals requiring monitoring. The quarantine process allows for careful observation during the incubation period of the virus while eliminating any potential risk of spread.