Three New Yorkers are among the 17 Americans back in the United States after departing a cruise ship at the center of a deadly hantavirus outbreak. “There are three individuals who call New York home. We don’t know whether those individuals will be returning to New York. I believe that there is a 42-day monitoring period,” Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Monday, some 12 hours after the group touched down in Nebraska for monitoring. At least one of the 17 Americans flown back to the U.S. has tested positive for hantavirus but is said to be suffering from mild symptoms. It wasn’t clear where that person was from. The three New Yorkers are from Orange County, Westchester County and New York City, the state’s health commissioner said in a statement. The commissioner said he was unaware how long each would stay in Nebraska or when they would return home to New York. “At this point, it is important to emphasize that there is no immediate risk to the public. We will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates as needed,” Dr. James McDonald said. The rare rodent-borne illness has been blamed for the deaths of three people, but global health officials stress that the risk to the general public remains low because the germ does not easily spread between people. “This is not the next COVID, but it is a serious infectious disease,” said Maria Van Kerkhove, director of epidemic and pandemic preparedness at the World Health Organization. “Most people will never be exposed to this.” Hantaviruses have been around for centuries and are thought to exist around the world. The disease gained renewed attention last year after the late actor Gene Hackman’s wife, Betsy Arakawa, died from a hantavirus infection in New Mexico. The virus usually spreads when people inhale contaminated residue of rodent droppings. But the hantavirus that has caused the current outbreak, called the Andes virus, may be able to spread between people in rare cases. Because of this, health officials are taking extra precautions with passengers returning to their home countries. ...read more read less