90-Second Read: Illinois resident with previously suspected case of Hantavirus tests negative for illness

A Winnebago County resident with a previously suspected case of Hantavirus doesn't have the illness after all, state health officials said Monday. The Illinois Department of Public Health announced May 12 that the person had a potential case of Hantavirus but that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention would perform additional testing to confirm if the person had the illness. Illinois has had seven positive cases of Hantavirus since 1993, most recently in March 2025.

That CDC testing did not detect Hantavirus, according to the state health department. With that additional testing, the person is no longer considered to potentially have Hantavirus. Illinois has not been notified of any residents who were on the cruise ship, according to the state health department.

There are different strains of Hantavirus, and the strain on the cruise ship can be spread from person-to-person, unlike the North American strain, according to the state health department. Nationally, there were 890 cases of Hantavirus between 1993 and 2023, according to the CDC. Three people have died so far as part of that cruise ship outbreak.