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Quarantine comes to an end for the last of the hantavirus ship passengers in Nebraska
The last eight U.S. passengers completed a 42-day federal quarantine after exposure to Andes hantavirus, and no one developed illness, officials said.
On Thursday, six of 18 passengers exposed to hantavirus on a Dutch cruise ship remain quarantined at the National Quarantine Unit in Omaha after two more departed this week.
Gradual releases from the University of Nebraska Medical Center have occurred since early June, as two-thirds of the initial group completed isolation at home under government surveillance.
Medical staff at the Nebraska Medical Center monitored individuals for hantavirus symptoms, which can take up to 42 days to appear after exposure, according to health protocols.
Ten others were allowed to leave earlier under agreements for close monitoring in their home states, while the remaining six chose to complete the full quarantine period.
No cases of hantavirus were detected among the evacuated passengers as of Thursday, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed containment success as quarantine protocols conclude.