Hantavirus Outbreak Timeline
The events that shaped what we know about hantavirus risk — and what each outbreak changed about how people clean up and respond.
Hondius Cruise Ship Outbreak — Andes Virus Transmission Debated
Multiple hantavirus cases among passengers aboard the Hondius cruise ship place 41 people under CDC monitoring across the United States. The outbreak involves Andes virus and reignites scientific debate over how — and how easily — person-to-person transmission occurs. Unlike Sin Nombre virus, Andes virus has documented human-to-human spread, raising questions about precaution protocols for close contacts.
Read full account →Western Rodent Population Boom Elevates Exposure Risk
Wet winters followed by dry summers drive deer mouse populations sharply higher across several western states. More rodents means more contaminated spaces — especially seasonal cabins, RVs, and rural structures left unoccupied through winter. HPS case counts reflect the elevated exposure environment.
Read full account →Yosemite — 10 Cases, 3 Deaths, 10,000 Guests Notified
Ten visitors to Yosemite National Park contract hantavirus after staying in Curry Village tent cabins. Three die. Investigation finds deer mice had colonized the void space inside the double-walled cabin construction, heavily contaminating the sleeping areas. The NPS contacts approximately 10,000 past guests. The signature tent cabins are demolished. National park lodging protocols are reviewed nationwide.
Read full account →Andes Virus — First Confirmed Person-to-Person Hantavirus Spread
An outbreak in Patagonia, Argentina reveals that Andes virus can spread between people — the only confirmed case of human-to-human hantavirus transmission. Sin Nombre virus, responsible for US cases, has never shown this behavior. The distinction matters: an Andes virus outbreak requires different contact precautions than a US HPS case.
Read full account →HPS Named, National Surveillance Established
CDC formally names the disease Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome and identifies the deer mouse as the primary reservoir. Prevention guidelines, clinical management protocols, and standardized case definitions are established. HPS cases are retroactively recognized across states beyond the Southwest.
Four Corners Outbreak — Sin Nombre Virus Identified
A cluster of previously healthy young adults in the American Southwest develop severe respiratory failure and die within days. The CDC identifies a previously unknown hantavirus — Sin Nombre virus — carried by deer mice. Forty-eight people died in the first recognized year of Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome. Retrospective testing later confirmed infections going back to at least the early 1980s.
Read full account →