90-Second Read: Illinois resident suspected of Hantavirus infection tested negative for illness

The risk for Hantavirus to spread in Illinois remains very low, state health officials emphasized. An Illinois resident tested for Hantavirus does not have the infection, Illinois health officials said. The Winnebago County resident was tested last week after they were likely exposed to rodent droppings and developed mild symptoms that did not require hospitalization, the Illinois Department of Public Health said at the time.

The person did not come into contact within anyone tied to the cruise ship Hantavirus outbreak that made headlines in recent weeks. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention tested the patient and did not detect Hantavirus, according to the state health department. Three people died from the Hantavirus outbreak on the cruise ship MV Hondius that set off April 1 from Argentina.

None of those cruise ship passengers were from Illinois, according to the Illinois and Chicago departments of public health. The state has had seven cases of Hantavirus since 1993, the most recent being in March 2025, according to the state agency. Donation Options A network of correspondents providing impartial news, reports and analysis in 33 languages from locations around the world.