90-Second Read: Have there been Hantavirus cases in Florida? Data says yes

More than 40 people across the United States may have been exposed to Hantavirus in connection with a deadly cruise ship outbreak for symptoms of Hantavirus, officials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said during a May 14 briefing. Of the three confirmed cases in Florida, one was in October 1993, one happened in April 2010, and the third was reported in June 2012, CDC data shows. The Florida Department of Health website tracks Hantavirus cases since 2016. The 18 American cruise passengers are still in quarantine in facilities in Nebraska and Georgia, with all of them now testing negative for Hantavirus.

The cruise ship outbreak is believed to have begun with a Dutch couple who were exposed to the Andes Hantavirus during a birdwatching excursion in Argentina. More cases from the cruise were expected due to interactions between passengers and crew before the first cases were confirmed, since the incubation period is six to eight weeks. Hantavirus is rare in the United States, but when infections do occur, the most commonly reported form is Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS), a severe and potentially deadly respiratory disease that affects the lungs. None are from Florida, according to the latest updates.

However, both the WHO and CDC's Hantavirus response lead, David Fitter, have said that the risk to the general public is low. Hantaviruses are multiple viruses within the same family that can cause serious illnesses and death. Hantavirus can be contracted when people come into contact with rodents like rats and mice, and especially when exposed to rodent urine, droppings and saliva, according to the CDC. Symptoms of HPS usually start to show 1 to 8 weeks after infection, the CDC said.

But it requires close contact (within 6 feet, for at least 15 minutes) with someone who is infected, within the first few days of their symptoms. The couple has since died, along with a German national who was on the cruise. According to the CDC, 38% of infected people with respiratory symptoms may die.