2026 Hantavirus Outbreak: Testing for Potential Infection [May 18, 2026]

Details

• Alternative Title:
  CDCHAN-00529
• Corporate Authors:
  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S.). Office of Emergency Risk Communication (OERC). Health Alert Network (HAN)
• Description:
  CDCHAN-00529: Summary: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is issuing this Health Alert Network (HAN) Health Update to inform clinicians and health departments about testing available for patients with suspected hantavirus infection to include Andes virus. CDC first issued a Health Advisory (CDCHAN-00528) about this outbreak on May 8, 2026. Hantaviruses are a group of viruses that typically spread to people who come in contact with sylvatic rodents. These viruses can cause severe illness or death in humans. Andes virus, a type of hantavirus endemic in South America, is the only type of hantavirus that is known to spread from person to person. Several other New World hantaviruses are endemic to the United States and are not transmissible from person to person. New World hantaviruses can cause hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS), a potentially serious disease that can cause damage to the lungs.
  
  On May 2, 2026, an outbreak of Andes virus on a cruise ship was reported to the World Health Organization (WHO). This outbreak has raised the possibility of cases being imported to the United States. As of May 18, no confirmed cases of Andes virus associated with the outbreak on the cruise ship have been reported in the United States. Therefore, the overall risk to the American public is still considered extremely low at this time. CDC and health departments in several states are monitoring the health of U.S. passengers from the ship and U.S. air travel contacts of symptomatic ship passengers who were subsequently confirmed to have Andes virus infection. This Health Update informs clinicians about testing and consultation that are available for Andes virus and other hantaviruses endemic to the United States, South America, and other nations.
  
  Background: On May 2, 2026, WHO was notified of a cluster of severe acute respiratory illness (SARI) among passengers and crew aboard the M/V Hondius cruise ship in the Atlantic Ocean. On May 6, 2026, WHO confirmed that the cluster was caused by Andes virus, a hantavirus endemic in areas of South America that can cause hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS). Andes virus is the only hantavirus known to spread from person to person. This type of transmission is rare for hantaviruses and is generally associated with prolonged close contact. As of May 15, WHO has reported 10 cases (8 of them laboratory-confirmed), including 3 deaths.
  
  Hantaviruses cause two syndromes. Hantaviruses found in the Western Hemisphere are often referred to as New World hantaviruses and can cause HPS. Several New World hantaviruses that do not spread person to person are endemic in the United States. These include Sin Nombre virus, the virus mostly commonly associated with U.S. HPS cases. In addition to HPS, hantaviruses can cause other clinically significant illness. Hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) is a group of clinically similar illnesses that affect the kidneys. HFRS is caused by another group of hantaviruses, often referred to as Old World hantaviruses, that are found mostly in Europe and Asia. However, Seoul virus, a type of hantavirus that causes HFRS, is found worldwide, including in the United States. Non-HPS hantavirus infection can also occur, in which patients experience non-specific viral symptoms without cardio-pulmonary symptoms.
  
  Hantavirus infections can occur year-round but are reported more frequently during the spring and summer months when rodent populations increase and people may have greater exposure to rodent-infested environments such as cabins, sheds, campsites, and homes. The most common hantavirus that causes HPS in the United States is spread by the deer mouse. Andes virus is spread primarily by the long-tailed pygmy rice rat (Oligoryzomys longicaudatus).
  
  
• Content Notes:
  Notice of Possible Alert Expiration: The CDC Health Alert, Advisory, Update, and Info Service announcements, distributed by the Health Alert Network (HAN), were active on the date they were originally published. Publication dates have been added to Titles for clarity. A CDC Health Alert, Advisory, Update, and Info Service announcement may expire at any time. They may also be updated or superseded according to later developments. None of the CDC Health Alert, Advisory, Update, or Info Service announcements in the Stacks HAN Collection should be assumed to be current or active. Stacks preserves HAN announcements in order to maintain a record of past CDC actions. Stacks in not designed for up-to-the-minute notifications. For the list of current CDC Health Alert, Advisory, Update, or Info Service announcements, patrons should visit the Health Alert Network (HAN) webpage at https://www.cdc.gov/han/php/about/index.html. For up to the minute reports, subscribe to the HAN email alert system hosted by CDC News & Updates at https://tools.cdc.gov/campaignproxyservice/subscriptions.aspx?topic_id=USCDC_486
  
  Categories of Health Alert Network (HAN) messages:
  
  Health Alert: [Red logo] Requires immediate action or attention, highest level of importance.
  
  Health Advisory: [Orange logo] May not require immediate action; provides important information for a specific incident or situation.
  
  Health Update: [Blue logo] Unlikely to require immediate action; provides updated information regarding an incident or situation.
  
  HAN Info Service: [Green logo] Does not require immediate action; provides general public health information
  
  
• Subjects:
  Communicable Diseases Disaster Planning Emergencies Hantavirus Infections Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome Health Communication Hemorrhagic Fever With Renal Syndrome Orthohantavirus Rodentia Seoul Virus Ships Sigmodontinae Zoonoses

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• Keywords:
  Advisories Alerts Andes Virus Cruise Ships Deer Mouse HAN Hantavirus Health Alert Network HFRS Long-tailed Pygmy Rice Rat (Oligoryzomys Longicaudatus) MV Hondius Rodents Severe Acute Respiratory Illness (SARI) Updates

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• Series:
  Health Alert Network
• Subseries:
  CDC Health Update
• Publisher:
  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (U.S.)
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Alert
• Place as Subject:
  United States ; Argentia ; South America ; Europe ; Asia
• Rights:
  Public Domain
• CIO:
  Office of Emergency Risk Communication (OERC)
• Division:
  HAN - Health Alert Network
• Topic:
  Emergency Preparedness ; Diseases & Conditions ; Travel Health
• Location:
  Asia ; Europe ; North America ; South America
• Pages in Document:
  3 pdf pages
• Issue:
  00529
• Collection(s):
  Health Alert Network (HAN)
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:2cecf11813a08afb0dab4819edda5f14072fdbfe0897871425b2fc885e0dcbf85afd0e79e6ceda39c02bd085bbe46efe1ed0b679bcb2f7064dfbbd2315e1d3cd
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/256554/cdc_256554_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 362.85 KB ]