San Francisco Health Officials Monitoring Hantavirus Outbreak On International Cruise As Federal Health Officials Confirm Risk To American Public Is Currently Low

San Francisco – The San Francisco Department of Public Health (SFDPH) would like to reassure the public that the Department is monitoring an outbreak of Andes virus (ANDV) on an international cruise in the Atlantic Ocean. Based on current information, there are no known passengers from San Francisco on the affected cruise and federal health officials confirm that the risk to the American public is currently low.

ANDV is a type of hantavirus virus that is spread primarily by rodents in South America and in rare cases, by humans through prolonged, close contact.

SFDPH will continue to work closely with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), California Department of Public Health, and local health departments to monitor the situation as it develops. The Department will update the public if there are public health impacts to San Francisco.

ANDV is the only type of hantavirus that is known to spread person-to-person. Such spread is rare and usually limited to people who have close contact with a sick person. This includes direct physical contact, prolonged time spent in close or enclosed spaces, and exposure to the sick person's body fluids. Visit the CDC website for more information about ANDV.

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