The U.S. is watching hantavirus after a suspected Illinois case and new research pointing to surprising rodent hot spots in Virginia, Colorado and Texas. Scientists including Luis Escobar at Virginia Tech and Morgan Gorris at Los Alamos are flagging how the virus behaves in rodents and the environment, while public health officials stress the MV Hondius cruise ship outbreak involves a different strain. This article looks at where the risk shows up, what researchers found, and practical safety steps people should use around rodent-infested spaces in places from Arizona to New Mexico and beyond.

A recent suspected hantavirus infection in Illinois serves as a reminder that the virus is present in the United States, even if it remains rare. Health officials say the cruise ship deaths were tied to the Andes strain, which has not been found in North America and is not connected to cases here. That distinction matters because different hantavirus strains behave differently, and only some are known to spread between people.

The primary strain found in the U.S. is Sin Nombre, which can trigger a severe and sometimes deadly lung syndrome. It spreads mainly when particles from rodent urine, saliva or droppings become airborne and are inhaled. Arizona historically reports among the highest counts, but new analysis points to other emerging spots.

Researchers at Virginia Tech examined rodent blood samples across many states and found as many as 15 rodent species can carry hantavirus, with Virginia, Colorado and Texas standing out. The team identified six new rodent species as potential hosts, expanding where scientists think the virus might be lurking in the wild. “We see human cases in states like New Mexico, but if you want to capture a rodent that is infected, Virginia emerges as a hot spot,” said Luis Escobar, an associate professor in Virginia Tech’s fish and wildlife conservation department.

Escobar says the work began after the coronavirus pandemic as part of a larger effort to understand why some viruses jump from animals to people and, in rare circumstances, spread among humans. His study looked at more than 14,000 rodent blood samples collected nationwide between 2014 and 2019 to map where the virus shows up in wildlife. That kind of baseline helps public health folks know where to look if human cases pop up.

Hantavirus grabbed scientific focus in part because strains like Sin Nombre can carry high fatality rates, which makes even isolated cases serious. “If we have that level of mortality, and we have human-to-human transmission,” Escobar said, “hantavirus emerges as a candidate for the next pandemic, which we ultimately want to prevent, or at least be prepared for.” Public health authorities say that, for now, the Andes-linked cruise ship deaths do not signal a wider spread across the U.S.

Global and national health agencies maintain there’s no evidence the MV Hondius outbreak marks the start of a pandemic, and they emphasize that the Andes strain is the only hantavirus known to spread from person to person. “It is important for everyone to understand that these routine seasonal cases are separate from the MV Hondius outbreak,” Dr. David Fitter, who is leading the CDC’s response to the outbreak associated with the cruise ship, said at a media briefing Friday. Below, you’ll also find a briefing by Escobar to CDC scientists on this topic.

Escobar briefed CDC scientists this past March as part of a webinar series about potential zoonotic threats, and his talk is available for viewing.

Finding infected rodents in a region does not mean people there will see human cases, but it does change how officials assess risk. Since 1993, health tracking shows about 890 hantavirus cases in the U.S., with the bulk occurring in Western states. Colorado and New Mexico each account for more than 120 cases, Arizona has reported 92, and California about 79, while Virginia — despite emerging as a rodent hot spot — has recorded just two human cases overall.

Roughly 35% of U.S. cases have ended in death, which is why public health messaging is direct about prevention. The rare illness drew attention in March 2025 when officials determined Gene Hackman’s wife, Betsy Arakawa, died from hantavirus, and a few weeks later three other deaths occurred in the Mammoth Lakes area of California. Those instances underscore that isolated outbreaks can have tragic outcomes.

Environmental conditions and human behavior matter a lot for risk. Morgan Gorris of Los Alamos National Laboratory published work showing people living in arid western areas face higher odds, since dry air and heat make it easier for rodent waste to aerosolize. “This virus can persist in the environment for at least a couple of weeks,” Gorris said. “And if there’s no rainfall to wash it away or dilute it, it can become airborne.”

Gorris adds that when humans move into or otherwise disturb rodent habitats, the animals can get stressed and shed more virus, raising exposure chances. “There is such a connection between humans, animals and the environment,” Gorris said. “When a new emerging disease arises, it’s really important to consider how each one of those parts might be playing a role.”

How to stay safe from hantavirus

Illinois health officials said they are investigating a case where a person likely caught hantavirus after cleaning a home with rodent droppings; that person reported only mild symptoms and is recovering. The clearest way to reduce risk is simple: avoid contact with rodents and their droppings and follow safe cleanup steps for spaces that sat unused over winter.

• Open windows and doors to air out the area for 30 minutes before cleanup.
• Wear rubber or plastic gloves; a face mask is not explicitly required for routine cleanups, though some experts recommend one.
• Do not vacuum or sweep droppings, because that can aerosolize infectious particles.
• Spray rodent urine and droppings with an all-purpose disinfectant or a bleach solution (about 1 1/2 cups bleach per gallon of water) and let it soak for five minutes.
• Use paper towels to pick up soaked material, then place them in a covered garbage container for disposal.
• Disinfect all hard surfaces like floors, countertops and drawers after removing visible debris.
• Wash gloved hands with soap and water, remove the gloves, and wash hands again thoroughly.