90-Second Read: Iowa health experts explain how Hantavirus spreads and why risk is low

As people remain under observation in Omaha over Hantavirus concerns, Iowa doctors and pest experts say the virus is rare and poses little risk to most residents. As more than a dozen people remain quarantined and under observation inside the National Quarantine Unit in Omaha over Hantavirus, Iowa physicians and pest control experts say Iowans should not be worried about the risk of spread. The Iowa Department of Health and Human Services tells KCCI it is not monitoring passengers from the MV Hondius for Hantavirus symptoms and is not aware of any confirmed Hantavirus cases among Iowa residents associated with the situation. Aneesa Afroze, an infectious disease specialist at MercyOne Medical Center and the center's director of infection prevention and antimicrobial stewardship.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there were 890 Hantavirus cases reported in the United States from 1993 through the end of 2023. Both Campbell and Afroze emphasized that Hantavirus remains uncommon. The department said it will continue coordinating with the CDC and other public health partners as appropriate. Still, though, Campbell says precautions are important when cleaning rodent droppings or contaminated areas.

It also is not spread like your COVID or influenza just by passing by or coughing on each other. Afroze tells KCCI exposure most often happens when people come into contact with infected rodents while traveling, including on trips to national parks, caves, expeditions or safaris. Darian Campbell is the office manager at her family's pest control company, The Bug Man, in Des Moines. She's also a year away from getting her master's in entomology.