2 New Jersey residents potentially exposed to hantavirus, health officials say

Two New Jersey residents were potentially exposed to a person infected with hantavirus, according to the New Jersey Department of Health.

On Friday, May 8, 2026, the NJDOH said it was notified by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of two residents who were possibly exposed to a person infected with hantavirus. Officials said the infected person departed from the cruise ship MV Hondius, where a deadly outbreak was reported.

According to officials, the New Jersey residents were not passengers on the cruise ship, but were potentially exposed to the infected person during air travel abroad.

The NJDOH said neither of the residents has reported having any symptoms that could suggest an infection. As a precaution, the NJDOH said it is now working with local health officials to monitor returning travelers.

Officials said no current hantavirus cases have been identified in New Jersey, and there is no history of a confirmed hantavirus case reported in the state.

Health officials said hantaviruses that are currently circulating in the United States are carried by rodents and are not known to spread between people. However, the strain linked to the cruise ship, known as the Andes virus, is found in South America and is the only known hantavirus that can be spread from person to person.

Transmission of the Andes virus is rare and generally requires close and prolonged contact with an infected individual or their bodily fluids, health officials said. The incubation period ranges from four to 42 days and people who are not presenting symptoms are not considered infectious.

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