Texas officials confirm monitoring completed for two cruise‑ship hantavirus passengers

Texas health officials announced that two Texas residents who were aboard the MV Hondius cruise ship have finished a 42‑day monitoring period for hantavirus exposure with no signs of infection. The passengers were isolated at home and evaluated twice daily by public health staff after the Andes strain of hantavirus was identified on the ship.

Chief State Epidemiologist Varun Shetty, MD, thanked the passengers for their cooperation and praised the public‑health team involved. Monitoring was recommended for all passengers after several crew members fell ill and a fatality was reported. The outbreak was initially flagged by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and officials noted that while the Andes virus can spread person‑to‑person in limited cases, no further transmission was observed among the monitored Texas residents.