90-Second Read: Possible Illinois Hantavirus Case Not Linked to Outbreak on Cruise Ship

The patient's case is not related to the MV Hondius cruise ship Hantavirus outbreak, the Illinois Department of Public Health said. This suspected patient marks the eighth Hantavirus case in Illinois since 1993. As of Tuesday, May 12, there are 11 Hantavirus cases among passengers or crew, nine of which have been confirmed as the Andes virus, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said.

An Illinois resident is experiencing mild symptoms after possibly contracting a North American strain of Hantavirus after cleaning a home with rodent droppings. The strain that spread on the cruise ship, the Andes, comes from South America. The agency confirmed that North American strains of Hantavirus "are not known to spread from person-to-person," unlike the Andes strain.

The Illinois patient was not hospitalized, unlike several Hondius passengers who have contracted the infectious disease. He confirmed no one has died since May 2, "when WHO was first informed of the cluster of cases," Ghebreyesus said in a news release. The Winnebago County resident is believed to have a North American strain of the virus, the IDPH said in a statement on Tuesday, May 12.