Hantavirus Cruise Ship Outbreak: 10 U.S. States Now Monitoring Residents for Exposure

The hantavirus cruise ship outbreak tied to the MV Hondius has prompted health officials in at least 10 U.S. states to keep watch over residents who may have been exposed. So far, none of those being monitored have developed symptoms, but the situation has drawn close attention from public health agencies across the country.

The states currently tracking potential exposure are Arizona, California, Georgia, Kansas, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, Texas, Virginia and Washington.

What Happened Aboard the MV Hondius

The MV Hondius is a Dutch-flagged cruise ship at the heart of an outbreak that has killed three people and sickened at least eight others. A Canadian passenger from the vessel tested presumptive positive last Friday, adding to the case count.

Eighteen passengers who left the ship are now at the National Quarantine Unit at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha. The group includes 17 U.S. residents and one British dual national. Sixteen of them traveled directly from the Canary Islands earlier in the week. Two others were first taken to Emory University’s Serious Communicable Diseases Unit in Atlanta before being transferred to Nebraska on Friday once they were medically cleared.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has placed the outbreak at a Level 3 emergency response, which is actually the lowest tier of emergency activation. The agency has emphasized that the risk to the general American public remains extremely low, and there are no known U.S. cases connected to the MV Hondius outbreak.

Two Separate Hantavirus Cases Not Linked to the Ship

It is worth noting that two recent hantavirus cases in the U.S. are unrelated to the cruise ship.

In New York, state health officials are investigating a suspected locally acquired infection involving a student at Geneva High School in Ontario County. The school district confirmed the case last Thursday, and officials say it has no connection to the MV Hondius.

In Colorado, the state health department reported that an adult in Douglas County died of hantavirus in a case also unrelated to the ship. Preliminary findings point to local exposure to rodents. The strain involved, known as Sin Nombre, does not spread from person to person.

Neither of these cases is included in the state-by-state monitoring summary below.

State-by-State Monitoring Updates

Here is what officials in each affected state have reported.

Arizona is monitoring one resident who was a passenger on the MV Hondius. The individual has no symptoms and left the ship at the South Atlantic island of St. Helena on April 24, before the outbreak was identified.

California is keeping watch over five residents. Three were passengers on the ship, including two who were transported to Nebraska by federal health authorities. One passenger returned home before the outbreak was discovered, and another resident was on an international flight seated near an infected cruise passenger. A fifth Californian disembarked early, briefly returned home, then left for further travel, all before the outbreak surfaced. That person is currently in the Pitcairn Islands and is being monitored by the CDC alongside British health officials. All five remain asymptomatic.

Georgia is monitoring two residents who traveled aboard the MV Hondius. Both are in good health with no signs of infection.

Kansas is tracking three people who had what officials describe as a high-risk exposure to a confirmed case. That category covers prolonged close contact, shared living space, or close proximity during travel with a symptomatic person. The exposure happened outside the U.S., and the three are being monitored at the University of Kansas Medical Center in Kansas City with no symptoms reported.

Maryland is monitoring two residents who were on a flight that briefly included an infected MV Hondius passenger.

Minnesota is watching one person who may have had brief overseas contact with an infected passenger from the ship. Health officials say the individual has been cooperative, is being checked daily, and currently has no symptoms.

New Jersey is monitoring two residents who were not on the cruise but may have been exposed during air travel abroad. Neither has shown symptoms.

Texas is tracking two residents who were on the ship and returned home before the outbreak was identified. Officials say they had no contact with anyone sick aboard the vessel and have agreed to perform daily temperature checks.

Virginia is monitoring one resident who returned from the ship. That person is in good health with no symptoms.

Washington is watching three people. Two Seattle-area residents were on a flight that briefly included an infected MV Hondius passenger, and a third King County resident is among those currently held at the National Quarantine Unit in Nebraska. All three are asymptomatic.

What This Means Going Forward

For now, the picture is reassuring on one important measure: every individual under observation across these 10 states remains symptom-free. Monitoring is largely precautionary, focused on people who were either passengers on the MV Hondius or had brief contact with an infected passenger, often during air travel.

Health agencies are continuing daily check-ins and symptom tracking, and the CDC’s assessment that the broader public faces extremely low risk has not changed.

This is a developing public health situation. Anyone who believes they may have been exposed, or who has questions about hantavirus symptoms, should contact their state or local health department for guidance.