CDC Concludes Hantavirus Outbreak Response on Cruise Ship

The CDC has ended its response to the Andes virus outbreak linked to a cruise ship, after a 42-day monitoring period showed no further cases on U.S. soil. The outbreak, originating from Argentina, involved the rare hantavirus strain, with investigations still ongoing regarding the initial source.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced on Wednesday that it has concluded its response to the hantavirus outbreak associated with a cruise ship, following a monitoring period that lasted nearly two months. This action comes after the virus resulted in three fatalities.

All American citizens who were potentially exposed to the hantavirus aboard the MV Hondius, which traveled in the Atlantic Ocean, have completed their 42-day observation period as of Sunday, with the CDC reporting no hantavirus cases within the United States. U.S. health secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. confirmed this in a statement on Wednesday, noting that there is no sustained transmission of the virus in the country.

The outbreak involved a rare strain of hantavirus known as the Andes virus—typically found in Argentina and Chile. The CDC emphasized that the risk to the American public remains low. Efforts to pinpoint the outbreak's source are ongoing, with CDC teams collaborating with Argentine officials in field investigations.