Two Houston residents linked to rare hantavirus outbreak

Houston health officials confirmed the two passengers onboard the MV Hondius ship were Houston residents, Houston officials confirmed to KPRC 2.

Authorities have also implemented safety protocols for first responders in the event of any service calls involving the individuals, who are currently monitoring themselves for symptoms, KPRC reported. 

The Houston Health Department said the two Texans are being monitored. “We also were made aware they have no symptoms. We were also made aware there is no public health threat at this time,” a city health official told KPRC.

Chron has reached out to the city’s Health Department for additional information. 

A deadly hantavirus outbreak aboard a cruise ship in the Atlantic Ocean is now being monitored in Texas after health officials confirmed two residents from Houston were among the passengers onboard.

“Public health workers in Texas have reached the two individuals, and they report they are not experiencing any symptoms and did not have any contact with a sick person while aboard the ship,” the DSHS said in a public statement. 

Officials added that the two residents agreed to monitor themselves for symptoms and conduct daily temperature checks.

According to DSHS, hantaviruses are rare diseases spread primarily through contact with infected rodent urine, droppings or saliva. Symptoms can initially resemble the flu before progressing into more serious respiratory illness.

The outbreak aboard the MV Hondius has drawn international attention after several passengers became ill and at least three people died aboard the ship. The World Health Organization said the outbreak involved the Andes strain of hantavirus, one of the rare forms capable of limited person-to-person transmission.

The outbreak aboard the MV Hondius has drawn international attention after several passengers became ill and at least three people died aboard the ship. The World Health Organization said the outbreak involved the Andes strain of hantavirus, one of the rare forms capable of limited person-to-person transmission.

According to the WHO, the ship was carrying 147 passengers and crew when cases of severe respiratory illness began appearing between April 6 and April 28.

As Chron previously reported, the outbreak triggered a broader international response as health officials track passengers who left the ship before the illness was fully identified.

For now, Texas officials continue to stress that the risk to the broader public remains low.

“It is not known to spread through casual contact such as shaking hands or being in the same room for a few minutes,” the DSHS concluded. “There have been no documented cases where a person without symptoms spread it to someone else.”