Several patients exposed to hantavirus aboard the MV Hondius cruise ship were transported to Nebraska for treatment, raising questions among Nebraska residents about the rare but potentially deadly virus.
The outbreak has drawn attention across eastern Nebraska because the exposed patients are being treated at Omaha’s University of Nebraska Medical Center, located about 40 miles from Fremont and within the Three Rivers Public Health Department service area.
Eighteen passengers are currently being monitored for the virus. Sixteen were transported to the University of Nebraska Medical Center. Fifteen of the passengers at the medical center are in quarantine, while another is being treated in the biocontainment unit. The other two passengers are at Emory University’s biocontainment unit.
“The patient in the Omaha, Nebraska, biocontainment unit tested positive before arriving back in the United States and is one of nine people worldwide who have tested positive in connection with the outbreak, according to the World Health Organization,” USA Today reported in an article published May 11.
Experts say the hantavirus-exposed patients are receiving excellent medical care.
“The patients were brought to Nebraska because UNMC and Nebraska Medicine in Omaha operate the only federally funded National Quarantine Unit in the United States,” Dr. Terra Uhing, executive director of the Three Rivers Public Health Department, said in an email to The Tiger’s Eye. “Nebraska is nationally and internationally recognized for infectious disease response, biocontainment care and public health preparedness.”
Nebraska is home to one of the nation’s leading quarantine units, according to the medical community. In previous years, the facility housed Ebola and COVID-19 patients. Currently, officials say there is no risk to the community.
The outbreak began on a cruise ship carrying 147 passengers. The first case was identified April 24 in an adult man. He experienced a fever, headache and mild diarrhea. The same day symptoms appeared, the virus infected his respiratory system, and he later died.
The second case was identified April 26 in an adult woman, who was the wife of the first victim. She left the ship and traveled to an airport, but died from the disease during a flight to Johannesburg, South Africa.
The third case involved an adult woman who initially felt unwell. Her symptoms began April 28 and first appeared to be pneumonia. She later died May 2.
The hantavirus has taken the lives of three people, and currently nine people have been confirmed to have the virus.
The World Health Organization has traced the illness and suspects it originated from a Dutch couple who came into close contact with the virus before boarding the ship.
Hantavirus spreads through rodents and contact with their urine, feces and saliva. Though rare, it can also spread through rodent scratches and bites.
This specific strain of hantavirus is called the Andes virus, which is the only known hantavirus strain capable of spreading from person to person, especially among people in close proximity. Because transmission requires close contact, experts say the probability of it becoming a pandemic is low.
“Based on current information, experts do not believe this situation has characteristics similar to a pandemic event,” Uhing said. “The outbreak is linked to a specific exposure setting, and there is currently no evidence of widespread transmission. Public health agencies are responding cautiously and proactively, which is exactly how these situations should be handled.”
The most common symptoms include fatigue, fever and muscle aches. Other symptoms reported in some patients include headaches, dizziness, chills and abdominal problems.
“Signs and symptoms of HPS due to Andes virus appear four to 42 days after exposure,” the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stated.
To avoid contracting the virus, people should avoid direct contact with rodent urine, saliva or feces. People should also avoid close contact with infected individuals. Following those precautions greatly reduces the likelihood of contracting the virus.
Residents of Omaha expressed differing opinions and concerns about the virus.
“I kind of hate it,” Kyla Stroscheim, a sophomore at Fremont High School, said.
She said she does not want another pandemic and feels uneasy knowing infected patients were brought so close to where she lives.
“I don’t like that our current administration decided to leave the World Health Organization right before,” 23-year-old Emma Woods, a teacher from Lincoln Public Schools, said. “I am distrustful that the U.S. government will be able to handle it appropriately. It doesn’t spread like COVID did, so it’s unlikely that it will become a widespread disease.”
The United States officially withdrew from the World Health Organization on Jan. 22, 2026.
“The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Department of State today announced the United States’ completion of its withdrawal from the World Health Organization (WHO) due to the organization’s mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic that arose out of Wuhan, China,” the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services stated.
The WHO continues working to limit the spread of hantavirus, though it now has limited involvement within the United States following the withdrawal.
“It’s not cool,” 15-year-old Alaina Marty said. “It seems like it could be the second wave of COVID. I think there should’ve been more precautions taken in order to prevent it from spreading. But I also think a big factor in the hantavirus panic is the fearmongering happening online. It makes it seem bigger than it actually is.”
The virus has maintained a heavy presence online, with many social media users comparing it to COVID-19, though health officials say the diseases are not similar.
While people online remain concerned, Nebraska residents have also expressed concern about hantavirus patients arriving near their communities. Three Rivers Public Health officials continue to reassure residents that there is no need for alarm.
“I completely understand why people feel anxious when they hear about viruses in the news, especially after recent global experiences with infectious diseases,” Uhing said. “News coverage can make situations feel much more immediate and alarming. I would encourage people to focus on trusted public health information and remember that there is currently no evidence of community spread in Nebraska. We are fortunate to have very experienced medical and public health professionals managing this carefully and safely.”
