California health officials said on Friday that one California resident remains aboard the cruise ship MV Hondius, which is experiencing an outbreak of Andes hantavirus.Another Californian who was on the ship has returned home and is in contact with local public health officials, the California Department of Public Health said. CDPH said public health protocols for that person include daily temperature and symptom checks and “direction to modify activities.” Health officials told KCRA on Thursday that there was no information that the California residents fell ill or were infected with the disease, which is linked to rodent droppings. Eight hantavirus cases have been identified so far and three people have died as part of the outbreak.On Friday, CDPH said there are currently no ill passengers onboard the cruise ship, which is making its way to the Canary Islands. “We understand that news of an unusual outbreak can be concerning,” Dr. Erica Pan, the state public health officer and CDPH director, said in a statement. “At this time, local, state, national and global public health partners are working together to assess and care for people who may have been exposed and prevent spread of the virus. Unlike influenza and COVID-19, years of experience in South America have shown that this Andes hantavirus rarely spreads between people.”The risk to the general public in California is “extremely low,” CDPH said. Meanwhile, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said staffers will meet passengers on the MV Hondius in the Canary Islands and escort Americans back to the U.S. on a charter flight, CNN reported. Another CDC team will meet them in Nebraska, where the passengers will be expected to be put into quarantine. There are an estimated 17 Americans now on board the cruise ship.Other states that have said they are monitoring seven passengers who previously disembarked include Arizona, Georgia, Texas and Virginia. CDPH said California is assisting with the national response to the cruise ship outbreak by fast-tracking clinical testing capacity for Andes hantavirus samples at its Viral and Rickettsial Disease Laboratory.Past hantavirus cases in California CDPH said there have been 99 California residents who have been diagnosed with hantavirus, from 1980 to 2025. None were from Andes hantavirus, which is found in the southern Andes region of Argentina and Chile. Instead, the California cases were all from Sin Nombre hantavirus, which is not associated with person-to-person contact as Andes hantavirus can be.See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel | Make KCRA a preferred news source in Google.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. —
California health officials said on Friday that one California resident remains aboard the cruise ship MV Hondius, which is experiencing an outbreak of Andes hantavirus.
Another Californian who was on the ship has returned home and is in contact with local public health officials, the California Department of Public Health said.
CDPH said public health protocols for that person include daily temperature and symptom checks and “direction to modify activities.”
Health officials told KCRA on Thursday that there was no information that the California residents fell ill or were infected with the disease, which is linked to rodent droppings.
Eight hantavirus cases have been identified so far and three people have died as part of the outbreak.
On Friday, CDPH said there are currently no ill passengers onboard the cruise ship, which is making its way to the Canary Islands.
“We understand that news of an unusual outbreak can be concerning,” Dr. Erica Pan, the state public health officer and CDPH director, said in a statement. “At this time, local, state, national and global public health partners are working together to assess and care for people who may have been exposed and prevent spread of the virus. Unlike influenza and COVID-19, years of experience in South America have shown that this Andes hantavirus rarely spreads between people.”
The risk to the general public in California is “extremely low,” CDPH said.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said staffers will meet passengers on the MV Hondius in the Canary Islands and escort Americans back to the U.S. on a charter flight, CNN reported.
Another CDC team will meet them in Nebraska, where the passengers will be expected to be put into quarantine.
There are an estimated 17 Americans now on board the cruise ship.
Other states that have said they are monitoring seven passengers who previously disembarked include Arizona, Georgia, Texas and Virginia.
CDPH said California is assisting with the national response to the cruise ship outbreak by fast-tracking clinical testing capacity for Andes hantavirus samples at its Viral and Rickettsial Disease Laboratory.
Past hantavirus cases in California
CDPH said there have been 99 California residents who have been diagnosed with hantavirus, from 1980 to 2025. None were from Andes hantavirus, which is found in the southern Andes region of Argentina and Chile.
Instead, the California cases were all from Sin Nombre hantavirus, which is not associated with person-to-person contact as Andes hantavirus can be.
See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel | Make KCRA a preferred news source in Google.