NJ health officials monitoring 2 residents after possible hantavirus exposure linked to cruise ship
NEW JERSEY — New Jersey health officials are monitoring two state residents after they were potentially exposed to hantavirus linked to a passenger from the cruise ship MV Hondius, according to the New Jersey Department of Health.
The department said the possible exposure occurred during air travel abroad after the infected individual departed the cruise ship. The two New Jersey residents were not passengers aboard the vessel.
According to health officials, neither person is currently showing symptoms consistent with hantavirus infection.
The New Jersey Department of Health said it is coordinating with local health officials to monitor the individuals as a precaution.
To protect patient privacy, NJDOH said it will not release residence information or other identifying details.
Officials emphasized that the risk to the general public in New Jersey remains very low.
“No current hantavirus cases have been identified in the state, and there is no history of a confirmed hantavirus case reported in New Jersey,” the department said in a statement.
Health officials said hantaviruses found in the United States are typically spread by rodents and are not known to spread from person to person.
However, the strain linked to the MV Hondius outbreak — known as Andes virus — is found in South America and is the only hantavirus known to spread between people, according to the department.
Officials said person-to-person transmission is considered rare and generally requires close, prolonged contact with an infected individual or exposure to bodily fluids.
The incubation period for the virus ranges from four to 42 days, and asymptomatic individuals are not considered contagious, health officials said.
The New Jersey Department of Health said public health agencies in several other states are conducting similar monitoring efforts involving returning travelers connected to the outbreak.
Officials said the department will continue coordinating with local, federal and international public health partners as the situation develops.
