In this photo illustration, samples of hantavirus are seen in Ankara, Turkey on May 6, 2026.
Arman Onal Anadolu | getty images
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said there were no cases of hantavirus in the country as of Thursday, as it monitored 41 people for the virus.
The agency said the risk to the public remains low following an outbreak on a cruise ship.
The World Health Organization has reported a total of 11 cases of hantavirus linked to the outbreak, eight confirmed by laboratory testing, including three deaths.
The spread of the virus has raised concerns about a potential global health crisis, just years away from the devastation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, public health experts have stressed that the risks from the outbreak are limited, and warned that it is unlikely to lead to a widespread health emergency.
The Andes strain of hantavirus linked to the outbreak does not spread easily between people, unlike other diseases including COVID, measles and flu.
Still, according to experts, more confirmed cases may emerge in the coming weeks because of its long incubation period.
Some public health experts have said the U.S. response to the spread of hantavirus, slowed by staffing cuts at the CDC and the Trump administration’s decision to leave the WHO, has exposed cracks in its preparedness to deal with another health crisis.
