90-Second Read: Maryland health officials monitor two residents after possible Hantavirus exposure

Officials emphasized that the monitoring is being conducted "out of an abundance of caution" and that the risk to the public in Maryland remains very low. Maryland has not reported any Hantavirus cases since 2019, and no cases of the Andes virus have ever been identified in the state. The Maryland Department of Health said it is working closely with federal and international partners, as well as specialized treatment centers, to monitor the situation.

The Maryland residents were not aboard the cruise ship itself. Hantaviruses are a group of viruses typically carried by rodents and are known to occur in the United States. ALSO READ | VOTE: Do you trust the government to handle the Hantavirus outbreak?

Health officials noted that people who do not show symptoms are not considered contagious. More information about Hantavirus and the outbreak associated with the M/V Hondius cruise ship is available through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. According to health authorities, the two individuals were on an international flight that briefly included a passenger infected with the virus.