The Maryland Department of Health announced it is monitoring two Maryland residents following a potential hantavirus exposure connected to a passenger aboard the M/V Hondius cruise ship.
Health officials said the two Maryland residents were not passengers on the cruise ship. According to the department, the potential exposure occurred during air travel abroad involving an infected cruise passenger.
Officials emphasized that the risk to the public in Maryland remains very low and said the department is acting out of an abundance of caution. No additional information about the Maryland residents was released in order to protect their privacy.
Hantaviruses are carried by rodents and cases occasionally occur in the United States. However, the illness connected to the M/V Hondius passenger involves the Andes virus, a rare strain found in South America that is the only known hantavirus capable of person-to-person transmission.
According to health officials, person-to-person spread of Andes virus is considered rare and typically requires close, prolonged contact with an infected individual or their bodily fluids. The incubation period ranges from four to 42 days, and asymptomatic individuals are not considered contagious.
The Maryland Department of Health said no hantavirus cases have been identified in Maryland since 2019, and no Andes virus infections have ever been reported in the state.
State health officials said they are coordinating with federal, international, and local public health partners, along with specialized medical facilities equipped to handle emerging infectious diseases.
The department described the situation as evolving and noted that information could change as additional details become available.
