ByALEXA LARDIERI, US HEALTH EDITOR
Published:12:47 EDT, 8 May 2026|Updated:14:01 EDT, 8 May 2026
New Jerseyhealth officials are monitoring two state residents who have potentially been exposed to hantavirus, a deadly rat-borne virus fueling an outbreak aboard a cruise ship.
The state health department said in a statement that the residents were possibly exposed to a hantavirus patient who had left the cruise during air travel but were not passengers on board the MV Hondius.
It is the sixth state known to bemonitoring possible hantavirus patients.
As of Friday, there were three deaths from the virus, five confirmed cases and three suspected.
No cases have been confirmed in the US, though nine Americans have potential exposure and are under medical watch in New Jersey,Georgia, California,Texas, Virginia and Arizona.
'No current hantavirus cases have been identified in the state, and there is no history of a confirmed hantavirus case reported in New Jersey,' the state health department said.
According to officials, neither resident is showing symptoms. No other information regarding the residents was given.
Concern about an outbreak is rising as approximately 30 passengers have already left the vessel and returned to several different countries and the ship is now on its way to Spain to disembark all of its remaining occupants.
Source: Drudge Report
