Nebraska

• Zeventien passagiers van het cruiseschip MV Hondius worden naar de National Quarantine Unit in Omaha, Nebraska, gevlogen—dezelfde faciliteit die tijdens de vroege COVID-19-pandemie werd gebruikt—na mogelijke blootstelling aan het hantavirus aan boord van het schip. • CDC-functionarissen bevestigden drie sterfgevallen in verband met de uitbraak en monitoren ten minste negen Amerikanen in zes staten—Arizona, Californië, Virginia, Texas, Georgia en New Jersey—op mogelijke infecties, hoewel geen van hen tot nu toe symptomen vertoonde. • Dr. Michael Osterholm, directeur van het Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy van de University of Minnesota, verklaarde dat de uitbraak "op dit moment tegen het einde is", waarbij hij opmerkte dat het hantavirus een zeer beperkt vermogen heeft tot overdracht van mens op mens en een "zeldzame uitzondering" is wat betreft verspreiding.

• A dialysis unit in rural Nebraska closed after operating at a financial loss, leaving patients without local treatment access despite the state receiving $219 million in federal rural health transformation funding. • The closure highlights the challenges rural healthcare facilities face in maintaining operations even with substantial federal support aimed at rural health infrastructure. • The facility's closure upends the lives of dialysis patients who must now travel for treatment, raising questions about the effectiveness of federal rural health programs in sustaining critical services.

• Bluestem Health in Lincoln, Nebraska, serving 21,000 low-income and uninsured patients, has operated at a loss for two years and anticipates worsening conditions due to new Medicaid work rules under President Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill Act. • Nebraska becomes the first state to enforce work requirements for certain Medicaid enrollees, risking coverage loss and threatening clinic viability, as stated by CEO Brad Meyer. • The policy darkens the outlook for government-backed clinics nationwide by reducing patient access to care amid rising operational costs.

• A new study from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln highlights how farmers' risk attitudes significantly influence crop insurance decisions and financial results. • Led by Associate Professor Cory Walters, the research analyzes behavioral factors in agricultural economics, published March 31, 2026. • Findings underscore the need for tailored insurance products to match diverse risk profiles, potentially improving farm resilience amid climate variability.