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The US government is trying to evacuate American passengers from a ship linked to an outbreak of the deadly hantavirus, with plans to move them to a military base in Nebraska for quarantine and treatment, federal health officials said Friday.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the risk to the American public remains very low as officials move forward with a medical evacuation flight for passengers aboard the M/V Hondius.
President Donald Trump said earlier on Friday that the situation appears to be under control, pointing out that the virus is difficult to transmit.
“We have very good people watching. It seems to be OK. They know this virus well. They have worked with it for a long time. They know it well. It is not easy to transmit it. So we hope that is true,” he said.
DR MARC SIEGEL: HANTAVIRUS CRUISE QUESTIONS ARE SCARY BUT FEAR SPREADS FASTER THAN THE FACTS
Medical workers wearing protective gear evacuate patients from the MV Hondius in the port of Praia, Cape Verde, on May 6, 2026. (Misper Apawu/AP)
“It looks like things are very well under control. They know that virus very well. It’s been around for a long time. It’s not easily transmitted, unlike COVID. But we’ll see. We have very good people studying very closely.”
The outbreak has escalated in the past few weeks, starting with a passenger who fell ill in early April and later leading to at least three deaths, according to the World Health Organization.
Cases are now being reported in many countries after passengers landed in Africa and Europe, prompting health officials to trace contact around the world.
Cape Verdean authorities at one point prevented passengers from disembarking the ship, citing concerns about carrying it.
TIMELINE OF HANTAVIRUS WEARING KEY TIMES IN DEADLY INFRINGEMENT PROBLEM
An ambulance takes patients off the ferry MV Hondius to the airport in Praia, Cape Verde, on May 6, 2026. (Misper Apawu/AP)
Hantavirus is a rare but potentially dangerous disease that is often spread through contact with infected rodents or their droppings, according to the CDC. While most strains do not spread between people, health officials say the Andes virus — which has been linked in some cases to a cruise ship — is the only known strain capable of limited person-to-person transmission.
The ship is expected to stop in the Canary Islands, Spain, where international teams plan the next steps for passengers and crew.
A CDC team has been dispatched to the Canary Islands to assess potential exposure among American passengers and determine precautionary requirements.
Returning passengers are expected to fly on a US government flight back to Offutt Air Force Base in Omaha, Nebraska.
Medical workers wearing protective gear take patients off the MV Hondius into an ambulance at the port in Praia, Cape Verde, on May 6, 2026. (Misper Apawu/AP)
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They will then be moved to the National Quarantine Center at the University of Nebraska Medical Center for continued monitoring.
Additional CDC personnel will be stationed at Ofutt Air Force Base to support health screening.
