90-Second Read: Is Hantavirus in the US? States monitoring people for possible exposure

Among those connected to the MV Hondius, a cruise ship run by Netherlands-based operator Oceanwide Expeditions, eight people have had either suspected or confirmed cases of Hantavirus as of May 7, according to the World Health Organization. Here's what Americans need to know about Hantavirus in the U.S., including which states are monitoring returning passengers. There have been no Hantavirus cases – suspected or confirmed – reported in the United States from the MV Hondius outbreak. No cases tied to the outbreak have been reported in the United States, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the overall risk to Americans is low. Officials in five states have confirmed they are monitoring residents who recently traveled on board the MV Hondius for Hantavirus symptoms.

So far in one state, New Jersey, officials are monitoring two people who weren't on the ship but may have been exposed. The map below shows the six states where officials are monitoring residents who may have been exposed to Hantavirus or recently traveled on board the MV Hondius. Officials in the United States are monitoring the ongoing situation and the overall risk is low, the CDC said in a May 6 statement. Three people have died from the outbreak, which officials believe began when a Dutch couple was infected while they were off the cruise ship, engaging in wildlife expeditions. The strain at the center of the outbreak has been confirmed as the Andes virus, which is believed to spread person-to-person, according to the WHO.

Human Hantavirus infection is primarily transmitted through contact with the urine, feces or saliva of infected rodents. During the ship's current trip, which began on April 1, about 30 people disembarked in St. While possible risks to the American public remain low, the CDC has convened leading experts on Andes virus to assist in this effort to ensure Americans are protected. Because it is a rodent-borne virus, people who clean up after or work with rodents are at higher risk of exposure, according to the CDC. Helena, a British territory in the Atlantic, in late April, Oceanwide Expeditions said.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on May 7 that twelve countries, including the United States, have been cautioned that it has residents who recently traveled on the MV Hondius. Since the CDC began tracking cases in 1993, there have been less than 900 confirmed infections as of 2023, according to the agency. Among those who got off at that time were the Dutch couple who died from their infections. White House Spokesperson Kush Desai also said in a statement on May 8 that "the entire administration remains vigilant" towards the outbreak.