90-Second Read: Why cruise ship passengers with possible Hantavirus exposure went to Nebraska

That patient tested positive for the virus and was being housed in the Nebraska Biocontainment Unit, officials said at a Monday news conference. As of Monday, the World Health Organization has reported at least nine cases of Hantavirus, including three deaths. Even so, we have taken this situation very seriously from the very start." "The risk of Hantavirus to the general public remains very, very low. Passengers carry their belongings in plastic bags after being evacuated from the MV Hondius after docking in the Granadilla Port on Sunday in Tenerife, part of the Canary Islands, Spain. It was a joint project with Nebraska Health and Human Services and the UNMC.

Michael Ash, CEO of Nebraska Medicine, said in a statement. We're going to ensure that you have the best world-class care possible." Pillen also sought to reassure Nebraskans that the facilities are safe and secure: "We're working diligently to ensure no one leaves the security in an unsecured way at an inappropriate time. The full quarantine period for Hantavirus is 42 days, Christine said, but he added that the patients would be allowed to go home if they remained asymptomatic. They are highly specialized facilities located at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) and widely considered among the best in the world. The $1 million, five-room biocontainment unit was dedicated in 2005.

The National Quarantine Center is located at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha. The 15 people in the quarantine unit will continue to be monitored for signs of the illness. Phil Smith, who spearheaded the efforts at Nebraska Medical Center to create the biocontainment unit, told the AP in 2020. Nebraska Medicine hide caption The quarantine unit features 20 negative-pressure rooms designed to keep potentially harmful particles from escaping by maintaining lower air pressure inside than outside the rooms. It is set up to safely provide medical care for patients with highly hazardous and infectious diseases and was used in 2014 to treat two doctors infected with Ebola.

When the biocontainment unit was first dedicated more than 20 years ago, the biggest concerns were anthrax attacks and severe acute respiratory syndrome, more commonly known as SARS, Dr. A hallway leading to rooms at the Nebraska Biocontainment Unit at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. The National Quarantine Unit was completed in late 2019. It cost nearly $20 million, according to the Associated Press. Both facilities were used during the COVID-19 epidemic.