American tests positive for hantavirus, another symptomatic; plane arrives in Nebraska

Added: 2026-05-18

[00:00:00]US health officials say an American is testing positive for the deadly hanta virus and another has mild symptoms.

[00:00:06]They were among the 17 Americans on the cruise ship struck by the outbreak. A plane bringing them to the US landed in Nebraska overnight. They were both traveling in the plane's bioontainment units. Officials say that is only out of an abundance of caution. The positive patient will be brought to a special unit at the facility in Nebraska. The others are going to a quarantine unit.

[00:00:26]It's the same place COVID and Ebola patients have been treated. The CDC says there will be no mandatory quarantine for the people not showing antivirus symptoms. They'll be allowed to leave the center if they wish and self monitor at home for 42 days. The arrival follows an odyssey that started in the South Atlantic and went through Spain's Canary Islands where most of the 94 passengers from 19 countries disembarked Sunday.

[00:00:50]Our Maggie Roelly was there.

[00:00:52]>> Those are the Americans finally on board that evacuation boat leaving the cruise ship. You can see they're being fed back and forth in small groups, all dressed in that floor length blue protective gear. One of the doctors on board actually told us they're only allowed to bring with them their hand luggage. All their baggage has to stay on board the cruise ship to be disinfected.

[00:01:10]>> A woman in France who was on that cruise ship has now tested positive for the virus. She's among five French passengers, all now in isolation in Paris. French officials say they've tracked down 22 people who she came into contact with. Medical experts do emphasize that the ha virus is not new and that this outbreak is not like the early days of co.

[00:01:29]>> The good news is is that in since it is h virus and not another corona virus or influenza virus, this is one that has very limited ability to be transmitted personto person. In fact, it's a rare exception. And so we have no question about the fact that this really is on the end of its run right now.