NJDOH Monitoring Two New Jersey Residents Following Potential Hantavirus Exposure Linked to MV Hondius

At this time, the risk to the general public in New Jersey remains low.

TRENTON - The New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH) has been notified by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that two New Jersey residents were potentially exposed to a person infected with hantavirus after this person departed from the cruise ship MV Hondius. The New Jersey residents were not passengers on the cruise ship, and the potential exposure occurred during air travel abroad.

The Department is working with local health officials to monitor returning travelers as a precaution. Neither individual is currently reported to have symptoms suggestive of hantavirus. To protect patient privacy, NJDOH will not release residence information or other identifying details.

At this time, 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.

Hantaviruses circulating in the United States are carried by rodents and are not known to spread between people. The strain associated with the MV Hondius outbreak - Andes virus - is found in South America and is the only known hantavirus capable of person-to-person transmission, though such transmission is rare and generally requires close, prolonged contact with an infected individual or their bodily fluids. The incubation period ranges from four to 42 days and asymptomatic persons are not considered infectious.

Health agencies in several other U.S. states are conducting similar monitoring of returning passengers. NJDOH will continue to coordinate with local and federal public health partners and will provide updates as the situation develops.

This is an evolving public health situation. The information provided reflects current knowledge and is subject to change as additional facts are confirmed by local, federal, and international partners.

More information is available from the World Health Organization and the CDC.

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The New Jersey Department of Health is a nationally accredited health department working to ensure that all New Jerseyans live long, healthy lives and reach their fullest potential. With more than 6,000 employees, the Department serves to protect the public's health, promote healthy communities, and continue to improve the quality of health care in New Jersey.