Health officials have confirmed that two Texas residents were aboard the MV Hondius cruise ship, which is currently experiencing a hantavirus outbreak.
According to the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS), they were notified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) about two passengers who left the ship and returned to the U.S. before the outbreak was identified.
DSHS said public health workers in Texas have contacted the two passengers, and they report that they are not experiencing any symptoms and did not have contact with a sick person while aboard the cruise. They also agreed to monitor themselves for symptoms with daily temperature checks and contact public health officials at any sign of possible illness.
According to health officials, 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.
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