Key facts
- The CDC has ended its response to a hantavirus outbreak on the M/V Hondius cruise ship.
- The outbreak involved Andes virus, a type of hantavirus that can cause hantavirus pulmonary syndrome.
- All U.S. citizens potentially exposed to the virus completed a 42-day monitoring period.
- No cases of hantavirus disease were detected in the United States related to this outbreak.
- The CDC determined the risk to the American public and travelers was extremely low.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has concluded its response to a hantavirus outbreak that occurred on the M/V Hondius cruise ship in the Atlantic Ocean. The outbreak involved Andes virus, a strain capable of causing hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS), a severe respiratory illness.
As of June 21, all U.S. citizens who were potentially exposed to the virus aboard the ship completed their mandatory 42-day monitoring period. The CDC worked with other U.S. agencies and international partners to repatriate 18 individuals to the National Quarantine Unit at the University of Nebraska Medical Center for this monitoring. While some individuals completed their monitoring at home, six remained at the NQU, all symptom-free.
Additionally, U.S. passengers who disembarked before the outbreak was identified were monitored by state and local health departments, with their monitoring period ending on June 6. No cases of hantavirus disease were detected among any of these individuals. Consequently, the CDC has determined that the risk of a pandemic and the overall risk to the American public and travelers is extremely low, leading to the official end of the response.