American Passengers from Hantavirus Cruise Ship Arrive Back in U.S.

A State Department plane carrying 17 Americans from the hantavirus-stricken cruise ship Hondius landed at Omaha Eppley Airfield in Nebraska at about 2:30 a.m. ET on May 11, 2026. The Dutch-flagged Hondius departed Argentina on April 1, 2026 and the outbreak involved six confirmed cases, two suspected cases, and three passenger deaths. A 42-day monitoring period is required for all passengers.

American passenger repatriation

• ▪Two Americans from the Hondius traveled in the State Department plane's biocontainment units out of an abundance of caution.
• ▪Two Americans from the Hondius were taken to a medical center at Emory University in Atlanta.
• ▪The American passengers from the Hondius ranged in age from late 20s to late 70s/early 80s.
• ▪A State Department plane carrying 17 Americans from the hantavirus-stricken cruise ship Hondius landed at Omaha Eppley Airfield in Nebraska at about 2:30 a.m. ET on May 11, 2026.
• ▪16 Americans from the Hondius are being treated at the University of Nebraska Medical Center/Nebraska Medicine in Omaha.
• ▪The disembarkation process from the Hondius was still ongoing on May 11, 2026 afternoon and was expected to finish by the evening.

Hantavirus test results

• ▪The French passenger who tested positive for hantavirus had her health worsen in the hospital overnight on May 10-11, 2026.
• ▪A French passenger repatriated from the Hondius to Paris on May 10, 2026 has tested positive for hantavirus.

Cruise ship outbreak timeline

• ▪The Hondius arrived at the island of Tenerife in Spain's Canary Islands early on May 10, 2026.
• ▪Jan Dobrogowski, the captain of the Hondius, thanked passengers and crew members on May 11, 2026 while acknowledging the difficult weeks they faced on board.
• ▪A Dutch passenger on the Hondius died at sea on April 12, 2026, 11 days after the ship departed Argentina.
• ▪The Dutch passenger's body was taken off the Hondius when the ship stopped at the remote Atlantic island of St Helena.
• ▪The Dutch-flagged cruise ship Hondius departed Argentina on April 1, 2026 with almost 150 people on board.

Medical facility quarantine protocols

• ▪Patients from the Hondius may be able to go home during the 42-day monitoring period if they have support to isolate at home.
• ▪At the University of Nebraska Medical Center, 15 patients from the Hondius are in the quarantine unit and one is in the biocontainment unit.

International evacuation efforts

• ▪A plane carrying 14 Spanish passengers from the Hondius took off for Madrid on May 10, 2026.
• ▪As of May 11, 2026, 54 people were still on board the Hondius.
• ▪Two flights are scheduled from the Canary Islands to the Netherlands on May 11, 2026, with the first carrying crew members and the second carrying 4 Australians, 1 British national who lives in Australia, and 1 New Zealander.
• ▪Five French passengers from the Hondius were repatriated to Paris on May 10, 2026.
• ▪28 people from the Hondius are set to disembark on May 11, 2026 in the Canary Islands, and 26 will continue on board to the Netherlands.

2 sources