Officials said the case is not linked to the recent outbreak on the MV Hondius cruise ship<\/a>, which led to three deaths and at least 10 confirmed cases.<\/p>\n The CDPHE said that preliminary evidence suggests that the individual’s infection was acquired by local exposure to rodents. The individual reportedly contracted the Sin Nombre hantavirus, the most common cause of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS), according to the Centers for Disease Control<\/a>.<\/p>\n “Hantavirus infections caused by the Sin Nombre hantavirus occur regularly in Colorado, usually in the spring and summer, and can cause a severe and sometimes deadly respiratory disease,” according to health officials. “In Colorado, the deer mouse is the rodent species that most commonly exposes people to the virus. Avoiding exposure to rodents and their urine, feces, saliva, and nesting materials is the best way to prevent infection.”<\/p>\n Group of rats Never miss a story \u2014 sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter<\/a> to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Sin Nombre hantavirus is not transmitted from person to person like the rare Andes strain<\/a>. Further information about the patient has not been released.<\/p>\n Hantavirus is an infectious disease that’s normally spread through contact with rodents such as deer mice, cotton rats, rice rats, and the white-footed mouse. The virus is typically transmitted to humans when they are bitten or come into contact with the urine, droppings, and saliva of an infected rodent.<\/p>\n![\"Group](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/216c82b917dd4078d3261c86cfbe7089.jpeg\"\/)
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Credit: Getty<\/p>\n