Americans who were aboard a cruise ship linked to a hantavirus outbreak will be allowed to leave isolation Monday after spending three weeks in a quarantine facility in Nebraska.
The passengers, who entered isolation on May 11, will now transition to self-quarantine and continue monitoring for symptoms.
During their time in isolation, each person stayed in a separate room with no visitors or contact with other passengers. Officials said they only interacted with medical staff, although they had access to phones, computers and other technology.
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Some passengers may choose to remain at the facility longer. At least one individual plans to stay through the full 42-day incubation period in case symptoms develop.
The passengers were isolated after disembarking from the expedition cruise ship MV Hondius, which was anchored in the Canary Islands after the outbreak was identified.
The outbreak killed three people and sickened about a dozen others.
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The virus involved in the outbreak was the Andes strain of hantavirus, a rare form that can spread from person to person through very close contact and the exchange of bodily fluids.
Symptoms can include fever, headache, muscle aches, cough and shortness of breath. There is no FDA-approved treatment for the virus, and medical care is generally focused on managing symptoms.
