Three New Yorkers are among the 18 people being quarantined in Nebraska and Atlanta due to hantavirus concerns.
The three were passengers on the MV Hondius cruise ship, which was hit with a deadly outbreak of the disease.
“The risk to New Yorkers remains extremely low”
One of the three is from New York City, another is from Westchester County, and the third is from Orange County. They are being monitored at the University of Nebraska Medical Center.
“All three are expected to be subject to a 42-day monitoring period,” New York City Health Commissioner Dr. Alister Martin said.
The MV Hondius arrives in the Granadilla Port on May 10, 2026 in Tenerife, part of the Canary Islands, Spain.
Chris McGrath/Getty Images
“The NYC Health Department is working in close coordination with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the New York State Department of Health, and other local health departments to monitor the situation. At this point we do not know how long these individuals will stay in Nebraska and whether or when those individuals will return to New York,” Martin said. “Currently the risk to New Yorkers remains extremely low. We will keep New Yorkers informed as we monitor and respond to the situation.”
“We are closely monitoring the situation and working with the CDC and local health departments,” New York state Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald said. “At this point, it is important to emphasize that there is no immediate risk to the public. We will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates as needed.”
At least 10 confirmed or suspected cases worldwide so far
None of the three New Yorkers are showing any hantavirus symptoms.
Officials said one of the 18 people who arrived back in the U.S. “tested mildly PCR positive for the Andes virus,” but that person also wasn’t experiencing symptoms. Two of the 18 people returned to the U.S. were flown to Atlanta, where the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is located.
So far, there have been at least 10 confirmed or suspected cases of hantavirus connected to the MV Hondius outbreak, including three deaths. There were nearly 150 people on board the ship, including the three New Yorkers.
Various officials have repeatedly emphasized the risk to the general public is low, and the hantavirus outbreak on the ship is nothing like COVID.