The hantavirus outbreak on the expedition cruise ship MV Hondius has now spread concern across the United States, with at least five states actively monitoring residents who traveled on the vessel.
Three people have died, and eight others have been infected-several confirmed by laboratory tests-according to the World Health Organization. The ship was traveling from Argentina across the Atlantic.
Texas, Virginia, Georgia, Arizona, and California are now tracking passengers who returned from the MV Hondius.
Historically, the United States has recorded roughly 800 to 900 hantavirus cases, with the majority occurring west of the Mississippi River. The most common strain, Sin Nombre, is not transmitted between humans.
However, the current outbreak involves the Andean virus from South America, which is the only strain known to spread person-to-person. The outbreak is believed to have started with a couple who contracted the virus in Argentina before boarding the ship.
Symptoms resemble the flu or COVID-19, including fever and muscle pain. In rare cases, the virus can lead to hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS), which fills the lungs with fluid and carries a mortality rate between 30% and 60%. There are no antiviral treatments or approved vaccines available in the U.S.
Authorities have quarantined exposed individuals, with incubation periods lasting up to 56 days. Experts urge masks and gloves when cleaning areas where rodents may be present, as the virus spreads through contact with rodent urine, droppings, or saliva despite being less transmissible than COVID-19.