WASHINGTON, May 9, (V7N) — The United States government confirmed Friday that it is organizing a specialized repatriation flight for American citizens currently aboard a cruise ship struck by a rare and dangerous hantavirus outbreak. The vessel, the MV Hondius, is currently en route to the Canary Islands, Spain.

The U.S. Department of State, in coordination with the Spanish government and federal health agencies, is preparing to receive the passengers once the ship docks in Tenerife this Sunday.

The Evacuation Route: Following consular processing in Spain, the American passengers will be flown to Offutt Air Force Base in Omaha, Nebraska.

Quarantine Protocol: From the airbase, they will be transported to the National Quarantine Unit at the University of Nebraska Medical Center.

Current Status: Nebraska Medicine officials stated that while the individuals are being monitored, they are currently asymptomatic and "well."

The situation has drawn international scrutiny due to the specific strain of the virus involved. While most hantaviruses are spread only through rodents, officials have confirmed the presence of the Andes virus—the only strain known to be capable of human-to-human transmission.

Fatalities: Three passengers—a Dutch couple and a German woman—have already died from the illness.

Ship Status: The ship operator reports that 17 Americans remain on board, though the State Department has not yet finalized the official count for the flight.

Despite the high-profile nature of the evacuation, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) emphasized that the risk to the general American public remains "extremely low." The use of the federally funded Nebraska facility is a precautionary measure to ensure the Andes virus does not enter the domestic population.

The World Health Organization (WHO) noted that the U.S. is one of 12 nations whose citizens began disembarking or seeking evacuation since the ship's initial stop at the remote British island of Saint Helena on April 24.

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