New York passenger describes 40-day Nebraska quarantine after deadly hantavirus cruise outbreak

New Yorker Jake Rosmarin is among a group of American passengers currently under quarantine at the University of Nebraska Medical Center following potential exposure to hantavirus aboard the M/V Hondius cruise ship, as a broader outbreak tied to the vessel has claimed at least three lives and sickened numerous others.

The Details

In an interview with CBS News New York, Rosmarin described his current conditions and outlook while under observation. "I feel well," he said. "I have no symptoms, and I'm just ready to cope with the next 40 days left here in quarantine." Rosmarin estimated he has roughly 40 days remaining in the quarantine period. He also expressed confidence in the care he is receiving, stating, "I know I'm in the best care possible, and I'm just trying to stay positive."

Rosmarin is one of 16 American passengers placed in quarantine at the Nebraska facility. The group was part of a larger evacuation that included 17 Americans and one dual British-U.S. citizen, all of whom were flown to the United States on May 11. According to U.S. officials, one passenger aboard the flight tested mildly PCR positive for Andes virus, the hantavirus strain associated with the outbreak, while another passenger developed symptoms during the process.

Upon arrival, fifteen passengers were placed in single-occupancy rooms within Nebraska's National Quarantine Unit. The passenger who initially tested PCR positive for Andes virus was first housed in a biocontainment unit but was medically cleared on May 13 and subsequently transferred into the general quarantine unit, according to CBS News.

The outbreak tied to the M/V Hondius has been linked to at least 11 confirmed or suspected hantavirus cases, including three deaths among those connected to the vessel, as reported by CBS News on May 13.

Context

The M/V Hondius carried nearly 150 people from more than 15 countries before the passengers disembarked in Spain's Canary Islands. Nebraska's National Quarantine Unit, located at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, is the only federally funded quarantine facility of its kind in the United States. The unit was previously activated during the COVID-19 response.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Andes virus is the only hantavirus known to spread person-to-person, and that transmission typically occurs through close contact with an ill person. CDC guidance also states that hantavirus symptoms can take between one and eight weeks to appear after exposure, underscoring the extended quarantine timeline facing Rosmarin and the other passengers.

World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus sought to reassure the public about the scope of the threat. "This is not another COVID, and the risk to the public is low," he said. "So, they shouldn't be scared and they shouldn't panic."

What's Next

The quarantined passengers face an extended observation period while medical authorities at the Nebraska facility monitor for signs of illness. With CDC guidance indicating that hantavirus symptoms can take up to eight weeks to appear after exposure, the observation and quarantine timeline for those who were aboard the M/V Hondius could stretch well into the summer.