The MV Hondius cruise ship, rocked by an unprecedented Andes hantavirus outbreak, has arrived in the Canary Islands. Passengers are being evacuated with special repatriation flights. Andes hantavirus has infected at least nine people, resulting in three deaths. The situation represents a rare instance of human-to-human transmission of this typically rodent-borne virus.

Eighteen American passengers, not 17 as initially reported, have been repatriated to the US on non-commercial flights to Omaha, Nebraska. Three people remain in biocontainment units - one with a "mildly positive" test result, one with symptoms, and their traveling companion. Fifteen asymptomatic individuals are under quarantine at the Nebraska Medical Center.

The quarantine period for hantavirus exposure lasts 42 days. Passengers will undergo detailed risk assessments, with some potentially allowed to return home early depending on exposure levels and access to healthcare facilities. Andes hantavirus is unique among hantaviruses for its ability to spread between humans through close, prolonged contact with symptomatic individuals.