NEW YORK (PIX11) – Hantavirus may be present in the area after two New Jersey residents were exposed to the virus, the New Jersey state Department of Health announced on Friday.

Although the virus may be in one tri-state area, as of Friday, the New York City Health Department has not received notification that any New York resident is aboard the MV Hondius. On this cruise ship, hantavirus has spread. The two residents were exposed to someone on board.

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“There have been no reported cases of hantavirus in New York City since at least 1995, when we began tracking the virus,” read a social media post by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. “Right now, the risk to New Yorkers is extremely low. To keep New Yorkers safe, our disease investigators continuously monitor nearly 100 diseases, including rare diseases like hantavirus.”

What is Hantavirus?

Hantaviruses are a family of viruses that cause serious illnesses and death, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  These viruses cause diseases like hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) and hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS). Rodents mainly spread these viruses. One virus, the Andes virus, is the only hantavirus known to spread person-to-person.

What are the symptoms of the Hantavirus?

Early symptoms of the HPS virus include fatigue, fever, and muscle aches in the thighs, hips, back, and sometimes shoulders. Other symptoms include headache, dizziness, and chills. Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain can also be seen, according to the CDC.

Symptoms of HFRS include Intense headaches, blurred vision, low blood pressure, lack of blood flow, internal bleeding, and kidney failure.

Why is Hantavirus in the news?

At the beginning of May, the World Health Organization received notification of a cluster of passengers with severe respiratory illness aboard a cruise ship. The ship was carrying 147 passengers and crew members. Since this notification, seven cases (two laboratory-confirmed hantavirus cases and five suspected cases) have been identified. Three deaths have also been reported, according to the WHO.

Currently, there is one critically ill patient and three individuals reporting mild symptoms. Further investigations remain ongoing.

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How many people may have been exposed?

Cruise operator Oceanwide Expeditions and Dutch officials said Thursday that more than two dozen people from at least 12 different countries, including the United States, left the ship at the remote island of St. Helena in the South Atlantic on April 24.

They included a Dutch woman who disembarked with her husband’s body. He was the first passenger to die, but it wasn’t until Sunday that health authorities first confirmed hantavirus in a ship passenger.

The delay left countries scrambling to track the passengers who got off the ship some two weeks earlier.

How is the virus spread?

The human hantavirus infection is primarily acquired through contact with the urine, feces, or saliva of infected rodents. Although uncommon, limited human-to-human transmission has been reported in previous outbreaks, officials say.

Should I be worried?

As of right now, New Yorkers have no reason to worry, New York City’s Health Commissioner Alister Martin told PIX11 News in an interview.

For more information on the Hantavirus, click here.

Matthew Euzarraga is a multimedia journalist from El Paso, Texas. He has covered local news and LGBTQIA topics in the New York City Metro area since 2021. He joined the PIX11 Digital team in 2023. You can see more of his work here.

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