90-Second Read: Can you catch Hantavirus in Michigan? What experts say

Global health leaders are scrambling to establish the best protocol for managing an outbreak of the deadly Hantavirus aboard a Dutch cruise ship set to reach land Sunday, May 10, in the Canary Islands. There are several types of Hantavirus that can cause rare, but deadly illnesses, according to the CDC and the University of Michigan Health-Sparrow. Michigan health officials reported just one case of Hantavirus in the state: A woman from Washtenaw County was sickened with the Sin Nombre type of Hantavirus in 2021, which is linked to exposure to the urine, feces and saliva of infected deer mice and white-footed mice. Some of the ship's passengers already have disembarked and returned home, including seven Americans who now are in the states of Arizona, California, Georgia, Texas and Virginia, USA TODAY reported.

So far, none of the ship's passengers who've returned to the United States are in Michigan, said Lynn Sutfin, a spokesperson for the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. She told the Detroit Free Press on May 8 that no one in the state is under monitoring for possible exposure to Hantavirus from the MV Hondias, either. Hantavirus was first discovered to be responsible for Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) in people living in the Southwest United States in 1993. As of December 2025, the Washtenaw case was the only occurrence in Michigan.

The Andes type Hantavirus is the only kind known to spread from person to person. In people who are infected, it can cause a severe respiratory illness called Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, which initially presents with flu-like symptoms. Here's what else you should know about Hantaviruses: To prevent the spread of Hantavirus and its related diseases, reduce contact with rodents in your home, workplace or campsite, the CDC advises. Hantavirus includes a family of rodent-borne viruses that spread mainly by exposure to the urine, droppings and saliva of rats and mice, according to the CDC.

The viruses causes two deadly diseases: in the United States, Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, and, mainly in Europe and Asia, hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome, the CDC noted. Of the many types of Hantaviruses, however, the Andes virus is the only type that spreads from human-to-human, according to the CDC. While it's unlikely anyone in Michigan will be impacted by the current cruise ship outbreak, rats and mice are common in Michigan.