Passengers brought to Nebraska for monitoring after potential hantavirus exposure aboard a cruise ship may be released sooner than originally anticipated if certain requirements are met, health authorities said Monday.

According to Brendan Jackson, acting director of the Division of High-Consequence Pathogens and Pathology at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, the individuals will stay at the Nebraska facility for at least several days during medical evaluation.

He explained that while passengers can choose to remain for the full 42-day monitoring period, some could return home earlier if they show no signs of illness and meet specific safety criteria.

Officials will consider whether each person can remain symptom free, safely isolate at home, maintain contact with local health departments, and quickly access testing or medical care if symptoms develop.

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Only those whose home states can coordinate ongoing monitoring and who meet these standards will be cleared to travel.

Jackson emphasized that the final decision will rest with the passengers themselves.

“Yes,” he said when asked whether it would be their choice. “We want to do this in the least restrictive way possible… that protects the health and safety of both the passengers and their communities.”

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He noted that individuals who prefer to stay for the full monitoring period may do so at the Nebraska facility.

Out of the 18 Americans repatriated following the cruise ship outbreak, 16 are currently in Nebraska and two are in Atlanta.

Michael Wadman, medical director of the National Quarantine Unit at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, said that 15 people in Nebraska remain in quarantine, while one individual has been placed in the biocontainment unit.

Angela Hewlett, medical director of the Nebraska Biocontainment Unit, explained that the person in the biocontainment unit had an “equivocal positive test” that was not performed in the United States and is currently asymptomatic.

Matthew Ferreira of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said that one of the passengers transported to Atlanta was showing symptoms.

Despite these precautions, federal officials reiterated that the broader public faces little danger.

Adm. Brian Christine, assistant secretary for health at the Department of Health and Human Services, described the current risk to the public as “very, very low.”

He explained that the Andes variant of the virus responsible for the outbreak requires prolonged close contact with a symptomatic individual to spread.

According to CDC information, the Andes virus is the only hantavirus known to transmit from person to person, and infections are typically limited to those who have direct contact, spend extended time in enclosed spaces, or are exposed to fluids from an infected person.

As officials continue to coordinate with local health departments and state agencies, the Nebraska team has stressed its commitment to ensuring safety while supporting passenger choice and dignity throughout the monitoring process.

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