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Hantavirus Alert: MN Monitors Potential Cruise Ship Exposure
13 May
Summary
- Minnesota health officials are monitoring one person for hantavirus exposure.
- The potential exposure occurred overseas on the MV Hondius cruise ship.
- The risk to the public is considered very low by health authorities.
The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) is actively monitoring a resident for signs of hantavirus infection. This individual was overseas and potentially exposed to someone who had tested positive for the virus aboard the MV Hondius cruise ship. As of May 13, 2026, the monitored person has not developed any symptoms.
Health officials stressed that the risk to the general public is extremely low. The MDH is in daily contact with the exposed individual, who is cooperating with monitoring efforts. This situation is part of a broader international concern over a hantavirus outbreak linked to the Dutch-flagged cruise ship, which has seen at least eight confirmed or suspected cases and three deaths.
Hantavirus, carried by rodents, can spread to humans. The Andes strain is known to transmit between people through close contact, though such transmissions are limited. Recent data from the CDC indicates a historical presence of hantavirus cases in the Upper Midwest, with only a small number reported in Minnesota and Wisconsin between 1993 and 2023.
