90-Second Read: US passengers of Hantavirus cruise ship being monitored in Nebraska

Two people are being monitored in Atlanta, 16 in Nebraska and another six passengers in Canada. Eighteen Americans evacuated from a cruise ship after possible exposure to Hantavirus are being closely monitored by health officials at two of the country's top medical centres. On Monday, California health officials said two people from the state who were on the cruise were among those being monitored in Nebraska, and that two others were back in the western US state. Sixteen people are in Nebraska at the nation's only national quarantine unit while two people are being monitored in Atlanta.

The 16 passengers who were taken to Nebraska are in "good shape" and "good spirits", Michael Wadman, medical director of the National Quarantine Unit, said. The officials said the latter paid had no symptoms, and that there were no confirmed cases of Hantavirus in the state. Three people have died following the outbreak on the MV Hondius, including two whom the World Health Organization has confirmed had Hantavirus. One of the American passengers who was aboard the Dutch vessel MV Hondius has tested positive without symptoms while another is showing mild symptoms.

In an effort to preserve space at the facility in Nebraska, some passengers were flown to Atlanta, Georgia, including the passenger who displayed mild symptoms, said Brendan Jackson of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC cautioned that people could have symptoms, but that did not mean that they necessarily had the Hantavirus. Wadman noted that the passengers in Nebraska would undergo further assessment when they have had a chance to sleep and rest. The Public Health Agency of Canada has said this could be extended to 42 days, citing the Hantavirus's incubation period.

Passengers are expected to remain at the Nebraska facility for assessment over the next several days. Two British nationals, who are being treated in the Netherlands and South Africa, also have confirmed cases. They have not shown any symptoms, but will be self-isolating for at least 21 days as a precaution.