NOTE: Hantavirus is rare but serious. This page tracks confirmed cases of Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS) in the United States. Numbers are gathered from CDC weekly reports, ProMED-mail and state health department bulletins. About 1 in 3 people who get HPS die from it, so even small case counts matter.
Showing case totals since · Last updated:
Headline figures above count only US cases reported on or after May 1, 2026. Year-to-date tiles cover all of 2026; the chart below shows the full 1993–2026 history for context.
| State | Cases | New (14d) | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona | 3 | — | 1 |
| Colorado | 1 | — | 0 |
| Illinois | 1 | +1 | 0 |
| Nevada | 1 | — | 0 |
| Washington | 1 | — | 1 |
| Wisconsin | 1 | — | 0 |
| Total | 8 | +1 | 2 |
Only states with at least one 2026 case are shown.
As of May 21, the ECDC confirmed 11 total cases (9 confirmed, 2 probable) tied to the MV Hondius outbreak with no new cases or deaths since the previous update. The ship has been docked in Rotterdam since May 18 for sanitation.
CDC confirmed that 18 repatriated U.S. passengers from the MV Hondius were requested to remain at the Nebraska Quarantine Facility through May 31. CDC issued quarantine orders for two passengers under the Public Health Service Act. As of May 18, no confirmed Andes virus cases linked to the cruise ship have been reported in the United States.
CDC issued a Health Alert Network Health Update confirming that as of May 18 no confirmed cases of Andes virus associated with the cruise ship outbreak had been reported in the United States, while health departments in several states continue monitoring U.S. passengers and air travel contacts.
At the May 15 press briefing, CDC Director Jay Bhattacharya stated there are currently no hantavirus cases in the United States and emphasized the risk to the general public remains extremely low, while monitoring of repatriated passengers continues. As of May 15, WHO had reported 10 cases (8 laboratory-confirmed), including 3 deaths.
CDC Incident Manager Dr. David Fitter reiterated at the May 14 briefing that hantavirus is a known pathogen, that the agency understands how to respond, and that the risk to the general public remains low. No U.S. cases have been identified.
CDC Incident Manager Dr. David Fitter confirmed at the May 13 briefing that no federal or state quarantine orders had been issued and that all contacts were being asked to voluntarily monitor themselves for 42 days.
IDPH reported a potential hantavirus case in a Winnebago County resident who is believed to have acquired a North American strain while cleaning a home with rodent droppings present. The case is not linked to the MV Hondius outbreak. The resident is not seriously ill and is recovering after mild symptoms that did not require hospitalization. CDC is conducting confirmatory testing.
The CDC said there are no hantavirus cases in the country as of May 14, while monitoring 41 people across the U.S. for the virus following the MV Hondius outbreak. The agency advised those being monitored to stay home and avoid people for 42 days.
CDC issued a Health Alert Network advisory informing clinicians and health departments about the Andes virus cluster aboard the MV Hondius. As of May 8, WHO had reported eight cases including three deaths. CDC sent a team to meet the ship in the Canary Islands and coordinated repatriation of 18 American passengers to Nebraska.
WHO issued a Disease Outbreak Notice reporting 7 cases (2 laboratory-confirmed, 5 suspected) including 3 deaths as of May 4 among passengers of the MV Hondius. Illness onset occurred between April 6 and 28, with rapid progression to pneumonia, ARDS, and shock.
Hantaviruses are spread mostly by deer mice. People usually catch it by breathing in tiny bits of dried mouse droppings, urine or saliva — often while cleaning out cabins, sheds, garages or barns that have been closed up.
It is not spread from person to person in the United States.
The illness it causes is called HPS. Early symptoms feel like a bad flu — fever, muscle aches, tiredness — and then, after 4 to 10 days, breathing gets very hard. If you have these symptoms and you have been around mice or droppings recently, see a doctor right away and tell them.
| How long after exposure do symptoms appear? | 1 to 8 weeks, usually 2 to 4 weeks |
| How deadly is hantavirus (HPS fatality rate)? | About 36%, roughly 1 in 3 people die |
| Can hantavirus spread person to person? | No — except the Andes virus strain in South America |
| Is there a hantavirus vaccine? | No approved vaccine in the US or Europe |
| Is there an antiviral drug for hantavirus? | No — treatment is supportive (oxygen, IV fluids, ventilation) |
| What animal carries hantavirus in the US? | Deer mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus) is the main carrier |
| Is hantavirus airborne? | Yes — you catch it by breathing in dust from dried rodent droppings, urine or saliva |
| Can you survive hantavirus? | Yes — about 64% of HPS patients survive with early hospital care |
| How many hantavirus cases are there in the US? | About 20–40 confirmed cases per year since 1993 |
| What are the first symptoms of hantavirus? | Fever, fatigue, muscle aches and headache, similar to flu |
| Where is hantavirus most common in the US? | Western states — New Mexico, Colorado, Arizona, California, Washington |
| How is hantavirus diagnosed? | Blood tests for IgM antibodies or PCR testing |
| Can you get hantavirus from a mouse bite? | Very rarely — most infections come from inhaling contaminated dust |
| How do you clean up mouse droppings safely? | Wet with bleach solution first, never sweep or vacuum dry droppings |
| Is hantavirus the same as the plague? | No — hantavirus causes HPS (lung disease), plague is a bacterial infection |
| What is Sin Nombre virus? | The most common hantavirus strain in the US, first identified in 1993 in the Four Corners region |