The everyday places Americans could be exposed to hantavirus

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Amid the currenthantavirus outbreakthat started on the MV Hondius cruise ship as it sailed across the Atlantic, health experts are now examining whether Americans may be encountering the virus in everyday places without realizing it.

Therare Andes strain, which was linked to the MV Hondius outbreak, is the only known hantavirus that has the capability to spread from person to person, usually through prolonged close contact with an infected person.

Most cases of hantavirus in the U.S.occur in the desert Southwest and on the West Coast, according to Dr.Linda Yancey, an infectious disease specialist at Memorial Hermann in the Houston area.

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“In Texas, cases are mostly seen on the west side of the state,�“The strain of hantavirus native to east Texas and west Louisiana, the Bayou strain, is not asinfectious in humansas the western strain, the Sin Nombre strain.”

Hantavirus is primarily spread through contact with infected rodents – primarily deer mice – and their urine, droppings or saliva.(iStock)

Hantavirus is mainly spread through contact with infected rodents – primarily deer mice – and their urine, droppings or saliva, according to theCenters for Disease Control and Prevention.

People can become infected after breathing in contaminated particles that are stirred into the air or touching contaminated surfaces and then touching their nose or mouth.More rarely, rodent bites can spread the virus.

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Exposure is most likely when cleaning enclosed or poorly ventilated areas where rodents may nest unnoticed for weeks or months, health officials say.

Risky locations can include garages, sheds, cabins, attics, barns and crawl spaces.Storage units, stables, kitchen cabinets and spaces behind appliances if rodents are present.

National Park Servicesays that most human cases of hantavirus occur in the spring and are linked to buildings that become heavily infested with rodents over the winter.

The risk of inhalation is also higher when opening buildings that have gone unused for longer periods of time, sweeping dusty floors, or moving and unpacking boxes.(iStock)

“Most people are exposed when cleaning out sheds and garages where rodents have been living,” Yancey confirmed.“You can be exposed by just the dust and droppings left behind by rodents – you don’t even need to even see the rodent to be exposed.”

The risk of inhalation is also higher when opening buildings that have gone unused for longer periods of time, sweeping dusty floors or moving and unpacking boxes, experts cautioned.

hantavirus riskwhile handling firewood, working in rodent-prone outdoor areas or disturbing rodent nests and burrows.

To prevent infection, if cleaning a structure that might have harbored rodents, Yancey recommends wearing a mask and using a diluted bleach solution to wet down any dust or loose debris.

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“This will help kill the exposed virus and reduce the amount ofinfectious dust,” Yancey said.

The CDC advises against vacuuming or sweeping rodent urine, droppings or nesting materials, as this can aerosolize the virus and increase the risk of inhalation.

A passenger in a white protective suit boards a plane while officials in orange hazmat suits stand on the stairs.

A Spanish passenger boards a government plane after disembarking from the hantavirus-stricken cruise ship MV Hondius at the airport in Tenerife, Canary Islands, on May 10, 2026.(Arturo Rodriguez/AP Photo)

Instead, health officials recommend wearing gloves, soaking rodent droppings with disinfectant, wiping them up with paper towels, properly disposing of waste and thoroughly cleaning surfaces, followed by careful handwashing.

Some signs of rodent activity can include droppings, shredded nesting materials, gnaw marks, strong musky odors and scratching sounds in the walls or ceilings, according topublic healthguidance.

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Dr.

“It is very rare in the U.S.and is seen out west, but rarely,�“We need to avoid overpersonalizing the risk of a very rare virus.”

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