90-Second Read: North Carolina resident was aboard cruise ship hit by Hantavirus outbreak: NCDHHS

North Carolina health officials are monitoring an outbreak of Hantavirus linked to a cruise ship after one North Carolina resident was identified as a passenger THE PRESIDENT participates in a greeting with Chinese president Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. Humans usually contract Hantavirus from contact with rats or mice when exposed to their urine, droppings or saliva, according to health officials. Hantavirus cases are extremely rare in North Carolina, with one case in 1995, state health officials said.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed that one resident of North Carolina was on board the ship. No additional details about the individual from North Carolina will be released to protect their privacy. Kelly Kimple, director of NCDHHS Division of Public Health, said in a press release.

All passengers will be monitored for symptoms for 42 days after their last possible exposure, the NCDHHS said. Hantaviruses are a family of viruses that are typically spread by rodents and can cause severe illness and even death. That person was evacuated along with all remaining United States passengers to the University of Nebraska Medical Center's National Quarantine Unit, according to the CDC.