Two New Hampshire residents are among those who were exposed to hantavirus aboard a Dutch cruise ship, state health officials confirmed.
The New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services announced that the two individuals traveled aboard the MV Hondius cruise ship and have since returned to the United States, though they are not currently in New Hampshire.
“We 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,” the agency said in a statement on Monday.
There is no current health risk to state residents, according to state officials, who said they would provide additional information as it becomes available.
Hantavirus is usually spread through contact with wild rodent droppings, urine and saliva. The specific strain involved is the Andes virus, a hantavirus that spreads between people through close, prolonged contact with an infected individual. Health officials said that a person is not considered contagious until symptoms begin to develop.
The last case of hantavirus identified in a New Hampshire resident was in 2019. The case was thought to be acquired through travel, the department said.
The outbreak on the vessel has left three cruise ship passengers dead and six people with confirmed or suspected cases of hantavirus who are being quarantined, according to data from the World Health Organization as of May 8.
The DHHS Division of Public Health said it will continue working with regional and federal partners and will release any information relevant to public health as it becomes available. The public can contact the Division at 603-271-4496 or visit the Hantavirus page on the DHHS website.
