Hantavirus in the U.S.: How easily does the Andes strain spread?

Health newsHantavirus in the U.S.: How easily does the Andes strain spread? It’s been assumed that the virus is contagious only if someone is in close contact with someone who’s having symptoms.Listen to this article with a free account00:0000:00Medical personnel escort U.S. passengers from the cruise ship MV Hondius, affected by a hantavirus outbreak, to awaiting shuttles at Eppley Airfield, in Omaha, Neb., on Monday. Nikos Frazier / Omaha World-Herald via Getty ImagesShareAdd NBC News to GoogleMay 11, 2026, 6:49 PM EDTBy Erika EdwardsAt least six passengers from the MV Hondius cruise ship have tested positive for the Andes strain of hantavirus. Of the 18 Americans who were on board and are now in quarantine facilities in the U.S., at least three are being closely watched for possible infection. Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.The latest confirmed cases are all among people who had direct contact with other patients who were on the ship, although concerns about how easily — or not — the Andes strain spreads are growing. Andes is the only type of hantavirus that can pass from person to person. It has been assumed that the virus is contagious only if someone is in close contact with someone who’s having symptoms. Some experts now suggest it’s possible it may be more contagious than thought. “What we’re hearing now, including from the doctors who were on the ship, is that at least a few people contracted it without that long, prolonged exposure that we’ve always assumed,” Dr. Ashish Jha, a senior fellow at Harvard University’s Kennedy School, told NBC’s “TODAY” show on Monday. More on the hantavirus cruise ship outbreak American passengers from hantavirus-hit cruise ship arrive back in the U.S. Birders push back on hantavirus fears tied to Argentine city. Covid cruise passengers recall painful memories amid hantavirus outbreak. Dr. Brendan Jackson, acting director of the high-consequence pathogens and...