HHS Supports Repatriation of U.S. Citizens to Specialized Care Facilities

WASHINGTON-May 10, 2026 - The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), is supporting the U.S. Department of State in the repatriation of American citizens from the MV Hondius cruise ship affected by the Andes variant of hantavirus.

In coordination with interagency partners, these American citizens will be transported by Department of State airlift to the United States. The airlift will first transport passengers to the ASPR Regional Emerging Special Pathogen Treatment Center at the University of Nebraska Medical Center/Nebraska Medicine in Omaha, Nebraska, then continue to one or more other destinations to transport remaining passengers to an ASPR RESPCT. Upon arrival at each facility, each individual will undergo clinical assessment and receive appropriate care and support based on their condition.

"HHS is coordinating across the federal government and with international partners to secure the safe return of American citizens exposed to the Andes variant of hantavirus aboard the cruise ship," said HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. "Protecting the health and safety of Americans remains our highest priority, and we have deployed the nation's leading medical and public health resources in this effort."

ASPR is coordinating medical and operational support for the repatriation effort, including integration with specialized treatment centers and readiness across the National Special Pathogen System.

The CDC continues to provide public health guidance and risk assessment. It has deployed teams to assess the cruise ship passengers and is coordinating with state health departments for contact tracing and exposure assessment. The agency also released a Health Alert Network (HAN) Health Advisory to inform clinicians and health departments on the recent clusters of hantavirus disease cases caused by infection with Andes virus.

The overall risk to the American public from the Hantavirus and its Andes variant remains extremely low. Hantavirus is not typically spread person to person; transmission is rare and limited to close-contact settings.