Seventeen Americans evacuated from the MV Hondius cruise ship arrived at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in the early hours of Monday, May 11, 2026, following a serious hantavirus outbreak aboard the vessel. A State Department flight carrying the passengers touched down at Omaha Eppley Airfield at approximately 2:30 a.m. ET, and buses transported the group to UNMC, arriving at around 6:15 a.m. ET. The swift evacuation came after the ship reached the Canary Islands, providing a logistical hub for the international response.
Of the 17 Americans now at UNMC, 15 have been placed in the facility's quarantine unit as a precautionary measure. One passenger who tested positive for hantavirus but remains asymptomatic has been admitted to the specialized Biocontainment Unit. A further individual among the group is displaying symptoms and is under close medical observation. Health officials emphasized that the containment protocols in place are designed to prevent any spread to the general public.
The total number of confirmed and probable hantavirus cases aboard the MV Hondius has reached 10. The outbreak has proven deadly, with two confirmed deaths and one additional suspected death attributed to the virus. The scale of the outbreak prompted urgent international coordination involving U.S. federal agencies, the State Department, and Spanish health authorities.
Spanish Health Minister Monica Garcia confirmed that laboratory analysis identified the pathogen as the known Andes variant of hantavirus. Crucially, investigators ruled out any relevant mutations, meaning the virus does not appear to have evolved into a more dangerous or more transmissible form. The Andes variant, primarily found in South America, is notable as the only hantavirus strain known to spread from person to person, though such transmission remains rare.
Public health experts have been assessing whether the outbreak could escalate into a broader pandemic threat. The prevailing scientific consensus is that the risk remains low. Hantavirus does not spread easily between people under normal circumstances, and the Andes variant's person-to-person transmission has only been documented in limited settings. The CDC is providing regular updates on the situation and coordinating with international partners to monitor developments.
In a separate but significant medical milestone, this week marks the 25th anniversary of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's approval of Gleevec — known generically as imatinib — for the treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia. The drug, approved in May 2001, transformed CML from a frequently fatal disease into a manageable chronic condition for the vast majority of patients, and it remains a landmark achievement in targeted cancer therapy.
Authorities urge the public to remain calm while staying informed through official channels such as the CDC and public health departments. The situation aboard the MV Hondius and at the UNMC biocontainment facility continues to evolve, and further updates are expected as health officials gather more data on the affected passengers and the broader scope of the outbreak.
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