The last eight American passengers exposed to an unusual hantavirus outbreak on the MV Hondius cruise ship leave a specialized hospital quarantine unit in Nebraska after 42 days of isolation, according to multiple reports. U.S. health officials say the enforced quarantine is necessary to help protect the public and that the required isolation period has ended.
The passengers were among dozens evacuated from the cruise ship in early May following the detection of the outbreak in the Canary Islands. The outbreak reportedly resulted in three deaths, and the eight remaining Americans were held in Nebraska for about six weeks while officials monitored them for illness.
One report also mentions that a passenger questioned whether she was being held against her will, but other accounts focus on the conclusion of the quarantine term and the release of the group. Additional information indicates that at least 30 other passengers had already left the ship before the outbreak was documented, while those evacuated for full protective care were later among those quarantined.
