A group of 18 American citizens exposed to a deadly hantavirus outbreak aboard the M/V Hondius cruise ship has arrived in the United States and is under strict quarantine, health officials confirmed. One passenger has tested positive for the Andes virus, a rare hantavirus strain capable of human-to-human transmission, and has been transferred to the University of Nebraska Medical Center’s biocontainment unit in Omaha. The outbreak, which began in April during a South Atlantic and Antarctic cruise, has resulted in at least eight confirmed cases and three deaths. CDC teams are deployed to Omaha and the Canary Islands to contain risks.

Prepared by Olivia Bennett and reviewed by editorial team.