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The MV Hondius cruise ship departs the port in Praia, Cape Verde, Wednesday, May 6, 2026. (AP Photo\/Misper Apawu)<\/p>\n
Misper Apawu\/Associated Press<\/p>\n
A virus linked to rodents is drawing global attention after at least three people died during a\u00a0hantavirus outbreak connected to the cruise ship MV Hondius<\/a>, according to the World Health Organization. <\/a>\u00a0 What is hantavirus?\u00a0<\/p>\n Hantaviruses are a family of viruses carried by certain rodents worldwide, according to the\u00a0CDC. In the United States, hantavirus infections can lead to hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, or HPS, a severe respiratory illness. \u00a0\u00a0 Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Fever\u00a0 As the illness progresses, some people develop coughing and shortness of breath as fluid builds in the lungs.<\/p>\n How does\u00a0hantavirus spread?\u00a0<\/p>\n People can become infected after exposure to infected rodents or by breathing in air contaminated with rodent urine, droppings or nesting materials,\u00a0according to the CDC.<\/a> \u00a0 Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Make Dallas News a preferred source so your search results prioritize writing by actual people, not AI.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Add Preferred Source<\/p>\n <\/a> The CDC says there have been no reported cases of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome spreading person-to-person in the United States. \u00a0\u00a0 What happened aboard the MV\u00a0Hondius cruise ship? \u00a0<\/p>\n The outbreak aboard the Dutch-flagged expedition ship MV\u00a0Hondius prompted international monitoring efforts after multiple passengers became ill during the voyage, according to WHO.\u00a0 Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n What is the history of\u00a0hantavirus in Texas?\u00a0<\/p>\n Human hantavirus infections are rare in Texas, but cases have been documented over the years.\u00a0 What activities increase the risk of\u00a0hantavirus?\u00a0<\/p>\n The CDC says several activities can increase risk of exposure, including:\u00a0<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Cleaning rodent urine or droppings without gloves\u00a0 How can people protect themselves?\u00a0<\/p>\n The\u00a0CDC recommends three main prevention steps: \u201cSeal up, trap up and clean up.\u201d \u00a0\u00a0 Sealing holes and gaps where rodents can enter homes\u00a0 Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n By signing up, you agree to our Terms Of Use<\/a> and acknowledge that your information will be used as described in our Privacy Policy<\/a>.<\/p>\n Health officials warn people should never sweep or vacuum rodent droppings because it can spread contaminated particles into the air. Instead, the CDC recommends spraying droppings with disinfectant or a bleach solution, letting it soak and then wiping it up with paper towels while wearing gloves. \u00a0\u00a0 When should people seek medical care?\u00a0<\/p>\n The CDC says people should seek medical attention immediately if they develop symptoms, especially difficulty breathing, after exposure to rodents or rodent waste. \u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The MV Hondius cruise ship departs the port in Praia, Cape Verde, Wednesday, May 6, 2026. (AP Photo\/Misper…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":284660,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[584,4491,97909,859,27,29,28],"class_list":["post-284659","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-texas","tag-health","tag-national","tag-news-national","tag-public-health","tag-texas","tag-texas-headlines","tag-texas-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/284659","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=284659"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/284659\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/284660"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=284659"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=284659"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=284659"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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Health officials said passengers from multiple countries, including Texas residents<\/a>, were aboard the ship during the outbreak. \u00a0
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According to Reuters<\/a>, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notified Texas health officials that two Texans had been on the ship and that they returned home before the outbreak was discovered. Texas officials told the outlet the residents were asymptomatic and self-monitoring for symptoms. \u00a0
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Here\u2019s what to know about hantavirus, how it spreads, its history in Texas, and what health officials are saying now.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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The CDC says<\/a> symptoms usually begin one to eight weeks after exposure to infected rodents or their urine, droppings or saliva. \u00a0\u00a0
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Early symptoms can include:\u00a0
\u00a0<\/p>\n
\nFatigue\u00a0
\nMuscle and joint aches\u00a0
\nHeadaches\u00a0
\nNausea or stomach pain\u00a0
\nVomiting or diarrhea \u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
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The virus can also spread through:<\/p>\n
\nTouching contaminated materials and then touching the eyes, nose or mouth\u00a0
\nRodent bites or scratches\u00a0
\nEating food contaminated by rodents \u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
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The outbreak aboard the MV Hondius involves the Andes strain of hantavirus, which WHO says has shown limited person-to-person transmission in South America.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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The organization said at least seven confirmed or suspected cases were identified as of this week, including three deaths.\u00a0
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Passengers from several countries have been monitored since the outbreak was discovered, as some travelers had disembarked before the outbreak was identified, according to Reuters.\u00a0
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Health officials have said the overall public health risk remains low.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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According to Texas Department of State Health Services data tracking zoonotic diseases, hantavirus cases were reported in the state between 2020 and 2024.\u00a0
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The disease became widely known in the U.S. after a 1993 outbreak in the Four Corners region near Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado and Utah, where investigators linked a respiratory illness to infected deer mice.\u00a0
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The CDC says cases in the United States are most reported in western states and rural areas where people are more likely to encounter rodents.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\nEntering rodent-infested cabins, campers or sheds\u00a0
\nWorking in barns, garages or vehicles where rodents may live\u00a0
\nCamping or participating in outdoor activities near rodent habitats\u00a0 \u00a0<\/p>\n
That includes:\u00a0<\/p>\n
\nKeeping food in tightly sealed containers\u00a0
\nRemoving clutter and trash around homes\u00a0
\nUsing snap traps to reduce rodent populations\u00a0
\nProperly disinfecting rodent droppings and nests \u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n![\"image\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1775016909_917_rawImage.jpg\" "\\"#\\"")
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The CDC also recommends airing out enclosed spaces such as cabins, sheds and vehicles before cleaning them. \u00a0<\/p>\n