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CDC officials are interviewing the passengers to assess Andes hantavirus exposure while encouraging them to complete a 42-day incubation period that began Monday. Two passengers have tested for the strain, with both returning negative results so far. No Americans have had conclusive positive tests; 11 cases have been reported worldwide, all linked to the ship.
U.S. passengers who were on the MV Hondius cruise ship remain in federal quarantine as of May 13, 2026. CDC officials held a briefing Wednesday urging the passengers to stay in quarantine until the end of the 42-day incubation period, which started Monday when they disembarked from the vessel.
Dr. David Fitter, incident manager for the CDC’s hantavirus response, said they are still interviewing the passengers to determine how closely they were exposed to the Andes hantavirus. That interview process is expected to last at least through Thursday.
“Currently, there are no state or federal quarantine orders that have been drawn,” Fitter said. ” Two of the passengers have been tested for the Andes strain. One who had symptoms and was sent to Emory University Hospital in Atlanta has tested negative.
In Nebraska, one person from the cruise ship who was initially taken to the Biocontainment Unit at the University of Nebraska Medical Center has been cleared to move to quarantine. Dr. Stephen Kornfeld, a passenger on the MV Hondius, told CNN on Wednesday that while he had tested “faintly positive” for hantavirus, he has since tested negative and was moved from the Biocontainment Unit to quarantine.
At least seven Americans who got off the ship earlier are quarantining at home in multiple states. Health departments have said they are in regular contact with the passengers quarantining at home as they monitor for symptoms. “We are working very closely with state and local health departments and the passengers that are home to ensure that they understand what is expected for them to monitor themselves,” Fitter said.
Monitoring at home could mean isolating in separate parts of a home and wearing N95 masks. S. — passengers or people they may have come in contact with — are being monitored at home, citing privacy concerns.
For now, the CDC recommends testing only for people who have been exposed to hantavirus and are having symptoms. Fitter said at the briefing that a blood test specifically for Andes has been validated, as well as a PCR test, although it hasn’t been used for patient care yet. As of Wednesday, 11 hantavirus cases have been reported worldwide, with eight cases confirmed.
All 11 reported hantavirus cases were among passengers or crewmembers on board the MV Hondius. No Americans have had conclusive positive test results for hantavirus. Three people from the cruise died.
The three people who died included a Dutch couple who health officials believe were exposed to the virus while they were visiting South America. All of the cases involve the Andes strain, the only strain known to be able to pass from person to person. @NBCNews reported these details.
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