Two New Hampshire residents were aboard the MV Hondius cruise ship, the boat at the center of a deadly hantavirus outbreak.
The individuals are in the United States, but have not returned to New Hampshire, according to the N.H. Department of Health and Human Services. Officials said Monday that they are “actively communicating with our federal partners to assess whether they will be returning to the state in order to coordinate appropriate monitoring to ensure their health and that of the public.”
State health officials said there is “no current health risk to residents” and that it would share additional information as it is made available.
The cruise ship departed from Argentina and made multiple stops on remote islands across the South Atlantic. Three passengers aboard the ship have died from hantavirus, with at least six others infected, according to NPR. Sixteen American passengers are in Nebraska at a quarantine facility, including one person who tested positive, according to the CDC, while two other passengers are in Atlanta, NPR reports.
It isn’t clear if the New Hampshire residents are among those in Nebraska.
Symptoms of Andes strain of the hantavirus usually begin within 4-42 days after an exposure, according to health officials. Early symptoms can include fever, fatigue, muscle aches, headache, and gastrointestinal symptoms like nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. There is no specific treatment or vaccine currently available.
On average, 30 people are identified with hantavirus every year in the U.S. The last case of hantavirus identified in a New Hampshire resident was in 2019 and thought to be acquired through travel.
