90-Second Read: Possible Hantavirus case under investigation in upstate New York; no connection to deadly cruise ship outbreak

The Ontario County Public Health Department in upstate New York says it is investigating a "suspected locally acquired Hantavirus case" with no connection to cruise ship outbreak. The investigation comes as global health officials continue monitoring a rare Hantavirus outbreak tied to the MV Hondius luxury cruise ship that has sickened multiple passengers and crew members and left three people dead. As of May 13, the World Health Organization (WHO) said 11 Hantavirus cases had been identified in connection with the cruise outbreak, including eight confirmed cases, two probable cases and one inconclusive case. Health officials have emphasized that Hantavirus infections remain rare and that the risk to the general public is low.

A passenger wearing a face mask and blue protective gown gives a thumbs up inside a bus after disembarking from the Hantavirus-stricken cruise ship MV Hondius at the port of Granadilla in Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain, on May 10. In the Netherlands, Radboud University Medical Center quarantined 12 staff members after officials said a Hantavirus patient's blood and urine were not handled under the strictest international protocols required for the specific virus strain. The outbreak aboard the MV Hondius began after a Dutch cruise ship carrying 147 passengers and crew departed Argentina on April 1 for a South Atlantic voyage.

A 3D illustration shows the structure of Hantavirus, an RNA virus transmitted to humans through rodent excreta that can cause severe illnesses including hemorrhagic fever, renal disease and Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome. Hospital officials said the risk of infection to staff remained low but called the quarantine a precautionary measure. According to the WHO, investigators believe the initial infection may have stemmed from rodent exposure during birdwatching excursions before boarding the ship.