90-Second Read: Why health officials are monitoring Californians for Andes Hantavirus

He or she is now in the Pitcairn Islands, a British territory in the South Pacific, being monitored by the CDC and British health officials. There are no reported cases of Andes Hantavirus disease in California, among California residents, or among U.S. residents, the California Department of Public Health said in a May 13 press release. Health officials are monitoring five Californians who may have been exposed to the virus.

A fifth Californian is now being monitored for the Andes Hantavirus. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that this California resident had "potential exposure" to the disease while onboard the MV Hondius cruise ship, where an outbreak occurred. Andes Hantavirus is primarily spread by rodents in South America but can also spread from person to person.

On May 2, the World Health Organization was notified by the United Kingdom Health Security Agency of several passengers with severe acute respiratory illness, including two deaths and one critically ill passenger. None currently shows symptoms of Hantavirus, though medical monitoring is ongoing. The individual disembarked the cruise ship, returned briefly to California, and left for another trip, all before the outbreak was identified.