Two Texans identified as passengers on ship with hantavirus outbreak, state health officials say

AUSTIN, Texas (KLTV) - Two Texas residents were passengers on the MV Hondius, a ship that experienced a hantavirus outbreak while traveling in the Atlantic Ocean, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notified the Texas Department of State Health Services.

The passengers left the ship and returned to the United States before the outbreak was identified.

Public health workers in Texas reached the two individuals. They report they are not experiencing symptoms and did not have contact with a sick person while aboard the ship. They agreed to monitor themselves for symptoms with daily temperature checks and contact public health officials at any sign of a possible illness.

Hantaviruses are usually spread through contact with wild rodent droppings or urine. The strain in the Hondius outbreak, Andes virus, can spread from person to person in limited circumstances. It typically requires close, prolonged contact with a person who is actively sick with the disease. It is not known to spread through casual contact such as shaking hands or being in the same room for a few minutes. There have been no documented cases where a person without symptoms spread it to someone else.

DSHS said they will not release additional personal details about the passengers to protect their privacy.