90-Second Read: The everyday places Americans could be exposed to Hantavirus — without knowing it

Health experts explain how Americans may encounter the virus without realizing it. The rare Andes strain, which was linked to the MV Hondius outbreak, is the only known Hantavirus that has the capability to spread from person to person, usually through prolonged close contact with an infected person. Health officials say people can also encounter Hantavirus risk while handling firewood, working in rodent-prone outdoor areas or disturbing rodent nests and burrows. Hantavirus can hide in garages, sheds, attics and unused vehicles where rodents nest. Hantavirus is primarily spread through contact with infected rodents, primarily deer mice, and their urine, droppings or saliva.

The National Park Service says that most human cases of Hantavirus occur in the spring and are linked to buildings that become heavily infested with rodents over the winter. A Spanish passenger boards a government plane after disembarking from the Hantavirus-stricken cruise ship MV Hondius at the airport in Tenerife, Canary Islands, on May 10, 2026. Marc Siegel, Fox News senior medical analyst, emphasized that Hantavirus is not something that most Americans encounter in daily life, and is more prominent in certain parts of Europe and Asia. Linda Yancey, an infectious disease specialist at Memorial Hermann in the Houston area. Risky locations can include garages, sheds, cabins, attics, barns and crawl spaces.

People can become infected after breathing in contaminated particles that are stirred into the air or touching contaminated surfaces and then touching their nose or mouth. Exposure is most likely when cleaning enclosed or poorly ventilated areas where rodents may nest unnoticed for weeks or months, health officials say. This will help kill the exposed virus and reduce the amount of infectious dust. Some signs of rodent activity can include droppings, shredded nesting materials, gnaw marks, strong musky odors and scratching sounds in the walls or ceilings, according to public health guidance. The risk of inhalation is also higher when opening buildings that have gone unused for longer periods of time, sweeping dusty floors, or moving and unpacking boxes.

Storage units, stables, kitchen cabinets and spaces behind appliances if rodents are present. Rodents can also nest in unused cars, RVs, campers and boats, which can be sources of exposure when reopened. To prevent infection, if cleaning a structure that might have harbored rodents, Yancey recommends wearing a mask and using a diluted bleach solution to wet down any dust or loose debris. The CDC advises against vacuuming or sweeping rodent urine, droppings or nesting materials, as this can aerosolize the virus and increase the risk of inhalation.