Hantavirus infections are most common during the spring and early summer months.
CDC is responding to a deadly hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship in the Atlantic Ocean, reported on May 2, 2026. The World Health organization (WHO) confirmed that the type of hantavirus responsible for this outbreak is the Andes virus, which can lead to hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS).
A person may be exposed to hantavirus by breathing contaminated dust after disturbing or cleaning rodent droppings or nests, or by living or working in rodent-infested settings. Typically one to five cases are reported each year and about one out of three people diagnosed with HPS have died.
The outbreak is believed to have started with a passenger who was infected before boarding the ship in Argentina. Hantavirus is primarily spread by rodents, but the Andes virus strain can be transmitted between humans.
Peak season for hantavirus is spring and early summer. “That's when people are starting to go in and clear out their sheds and garages where deer mice have been nesting,” Bryan said. “The bodily fluids from the mice carry the virus.
Deer mice usually carry the virus without showing any signs of being sick. The deer mouse and the house mouse are different species, and the house mouse does not carry hantavirus. In addition, rats also do not carry hantavirus in Washington state.
The outbreak comes roughly a year after hantavirus was in the news for killing Betsy Arakawa, wife of actor Gene Hackman. Arakawa was likely exposed through contact with wild mice or rats on their property in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Situation at a glance. This is the third Disease Outbreak News report on the hantavirus cluster, following the notification to the World Health Organization (WHO) on 2 May 2026 of severe respiratory illness cases aboard MV Hondius, a cruise ship.
Key Takeaways. Upside-down pineapples on cruise ships are commonly used by swingers as a subtle signal of interest in consensual non-monogamy. Cabin doors with pineapple decorations can be used to signal openness, but the article warns not to assume every decorated door indicates a match.
According to the CDC, 890 cases of hantavirus have been reported in the U.S. since health officials started tracking it in 1993. The majority have occurred out West, with Colorado and New Mexico reporting more than 120 cases each. Ninety-two cases have been reported in Arizona, and 79 in California.
You can get infected with hantavirus when hantaviruses from old rodent droppings and urine are stirred up into the air and then inhaled. This can happen when sweeping and dusting.
Activities that can increase the risk of exposure to the hantavirus include:
The risk of acquiring hantavirus is extremely rare, even among people who are consistently exposed to mice and other rodents. The majority of exposures (70%) occur around the home.
Early signs and symptoms of hantavirus infection almost always include fever, fatigue, and muscle aches, particularly of the large muscles of the thighs, hips, and back, and usually occur 1-8 weeks after exposure.
Hantavirus: Pack rats are known carriers of hantavirus, a potentially fatal respiratory disease. Humans can contract hantavirus through direct contact with rodent droppings, urine, or saliva, or by inhaling contaminated dust particles.
Treatment. There is no licenced specific antiviral treatment or vaccine for hantavirus infection. Care is supportive and focuses on close clinical monitoring and management of respiratory, cardiac and kidney complications.
It can mean "complicated relationship status" in texting or social media. It is also used to indicate that one is open to taking part in "swinger" activities.
Charlie, Charlie, Charlie is the code for a security threat aboard Royal Caribbean ships and the code for upcoming helicopter winch operations aboard c-bed accommodation vessels. Code blue usually means a medical emergency. Delta, delta, delta is the code for a possible bio-hazard among some cruise lines.
Since bananas ripen quickly, ships transporting them had to move fast, meaning they couldn't slow down to fish along the way. This led to the association between bananas and bad fishing luck. Vanishing Ships – Some old sea tales suggest that ships carrying bananas were more likely to disappear at sea.
How do you catch hantavirus, and how infectious is it? Hantavirus mainly spreads via inhalation of contaminated particles from the urine, faeces or saliva of infected rodents. Only one strain, Andes – the one involved in this outbreak – can spread between people.
Respiratory illnesses. Respiratory illnesses are the most common medical complaint on cruise ships.
Generally, no. “In my time on cruise ships, inspecting everything from the bilge to the galleys to passenger cabins, I've never seen a rodent or evidence of rodent droppings,” he said. There are traps “all over the place” as a precaution, he said, but no rodents are typically caught.
Nests and some dead rodents were found in outbuildings of the house where Oscar-winning actor Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa were found dead. New Mexico Department of Public Health records seen by BBC News documented evidence of the animals in eight detached buildings at their home in Santa Fe.
The medical investigator's office wrote in its opinion of the autopsy that an examination of Gene's brain "showed microscopic findings of advanced stage Alzheimer's disease." According to the medical investigator, Gene "succumbed to natural disease subsequent to the demise of" Betsy.
Hantavirus is a common dangerous disease which is present in rat droppings. Hantavirus activity duration is dependent on environmental conditions such as temperature and humidity. Usually it is only 2-3 days. This means you are only likely to catch it from current infestations.