90-Second Read: Hantavirus cruise patients are in America. How contagious? Symptoms

One American has tested positive for Hantavirus after being evacuated from a luxury cruise ship hit by a deadly outbreak of Hantavirus. Three people died last month after a Hantavirus outbreak on the MV Hondius, a cruise ship traveling in the Atlantic Ocean. As of May 11, there are no reported cases of Hantavirus in Florida. Since the ship docked in Tenerife in Spain's Canary Islands, its 17 American passengers are back in the US to quarantine. Department of Health and Human Services said on Sunday that one American being repatriated had tested mildly positive for the Andes strain of the virus, while a second person had shown mild symptoms.

However, there have been cases reported in the state in the past. Hantaviruses are a group of zoonotic viruses that naturally infect rodents, sometimes for long periods without apparent illness, and are occasionally transmitted to humans, according to the World Health Organization. While rare, Hantavirus may spread between people and can lead to severe respiratory illness and requires careful patient monitoring, support and response. Additionally, a French passenger has recently tested positive for the virus. The first day of evacuations ended on Sunday with a total of 94 passengers of 19 nationalities evacuated from the ship, Spanish Health Minister Mónica García said at a news conference.

There are different types of Hantavirus, each associated with a specific rodent reservoir species. Hantavirus is primarily distributed by rodents through exposure to their urine, droppings or saliva and less commonly through a scratch or bite, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The risk posed by Hantavirus to the wider public is low, according to the WHO on May 4. There are no specific treatments or vaccines for Hantavirus infections; however, the WHO reports that early supportive care and immediate referral to a facility with a complete ICU can improve survival. The outbreak may have started with a passenger who boarded the vessel after becoming infected with the virus, according to a World Health Organization health expert.

Symptoms usually begin between 1 and 8 weeks after exposure, depending on the virus type, according to the WHO. They typically include fever, headache, muscle aches and gastrointestinal symptoms such as abdominal pain, nausea or vomiting. He added that the remaining 22 passengers on board are scheduled to be evacuated on a Dutch flight to the Netherlands later on Monday. The CDC reports three cases in Florida between 1993 and 2023. However, transmission between people is not easy and requires "close and prolonged" contact, according to the WHO.