Is Hantavirus Contagious? Here's the Honest Answer

In May 2026, a hantavirus outbreak aboard the MV Hondius — a Dutch expedition cruise ship — killed three people and prompted the World Health Organization to investigate whether the virus had spread from person to person on the ship.

While that possibility is being closely examined, it doesn’t reflect how hantavirus typically behaves. In the vast majority of cases, transmission doesn’t happen between people at all.

Here's what we know about how the virus actually spreads.

Is Hantavirus Contagious Between People?

In almost every case, no. Hantavirus spreads to people through contact with infected rodents — most often through their droppings, urine, or saliva. The CDC notes that hantavirus is "not easily spread between people," and every reported U.S. case has been traced to direct rodent exposure rather than another person.

That includes living in the same household as someone infected, sitting on the same plane, or sharing a meal. None of these have caused a documented case of hantavirus in the United States.

The One Exception: The Andes Virus

There is one strain that breaks the rule. The Andes virus (ANDV), found primarily in Argentina and Chile, is the only known hantavirus that has demonstrated person-to-person transmission. Even then, it requires sustained close contact — caregiving, sharing a bed, or living together in the same household. Casual or brief contact has not been documented to spread it.

This is the strain at the center of the MV Hondius outbreak. After three passengers died, the WHO began investigating whether the illness was spreading between people on board. The cluster has been linked to passengers who had spent time in Argentina before joining the cruise.

It's a serious public-health investigation — but even here, what's under examination is the documented behavior of the Andes virus under unusual conditions, not a sign that hantavirus has become broadly contagious.

Can You Get It From a Pet?

No — cats and dogs are not known to transmit hantavirus to humans. They can, however, raise your risk indirectly by bringing rodents into closer contact with your home or garage. If your outdoor pet has a habit of catching mice, handle the remains with gloves and a mask.

(For more, see our deeper write-up on whether cats and dogs can get hantavirus.)

A Quick Refresher on Hantavirus

Hantavirus is a respiratory virus carried by certain rodents — most often the deer mouse in the U.S. Early symptoms tend to resemble the flu: fatigue, fever, and muscle aches.

If the illness progresses to Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS), fluid begins to fill the lungs and breathing becomes difficult. There's no cure, and roughly 35% of HPS cases result in death. It's rare — typically fewer than 50 U.S. cases per year — but serious enough that early recognition matters. 

How to Lower Your Risk

Since the real risk of hantavirus is rodent exposure, prevention comes down to keeping rodents away from the spaces you use.

1) Keep Rodents Out. Seal cracks and gaps around doors, vents, pipes, and garages with steel wool or caulk. Remove attractants like open food, trash, and nesting clutter.

2) Clean droppings safely. Don't sweep or vacuum dry droppings — that kicks contaminated particles into the air. Wet everything first with a bleach solution (1.5 cups bleach per gallon of water), let it soak, then wipe up with paper towels while wearing gloves and an N95.

3) Use a physical barrier where rodents tend to find their way in. Garages, RVs, vehicles, and storage areas are the most common settings where people end up exposed to rodent droppings. The Box-Kat mouse barrier is designed specifically to keep rodents out of those spaces — removing the exposure risk entirely.

So, Should You Be Worried?

For people in the United States, person-to-person hantavirus transmission isn't a realistic concern. The cruise ship cluster is being studied because it's unusual, not because it represents a new pattern of spread. Day-to-day, the practical move is rodent management — and the most useful thing you can do is keep them out of the places you spend time.