CDC Asks Travelers for Voluntary Hantavirus Tests

Travelers arriving in the United States were recently asked by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to voluntarily test for Hantavirus. This information was shared by weatherman Al Roker, who noted the request following his return from Europe after attending his daughter's wedding in Paris. The CDC's precautionary measure comes amid reports of Hantavirus outbreaks on cruise ships.

Hantavirus is a rare illness primarily spread through contact with rodents like rats and mice, typically via their waste. It can lead to two severe conditions: Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS), affecting the lungs and commonly found in the U.S., and Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome (HFRS), which impacts the kidneys. Symptoms for HPS usually appear within one to eight weeks post-exposure, while HFRS symptoms may manifest within one to two weeks, though sometimes longer.