CDC says monitoring US travelers on cruise ship after hantavirus outbreak

The United States is closely monitoring the situation with U.S. travelers on board the luxury cruise ship that was hit by a hantavirus outbreak, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said on Wednesday.



Three people - a Dutch couple and a German national - have died in the outbreak on the MV Hondius. Eight people, including a Swiss citizen, are suspected to have contracted the virus, according to the World Health Organization.



Hantavirus usually spreads through contact with infected rodents and human-to-human transmission is uncommon.



"The Department of State is leading a coordinated, whole-of-government response including direct contact with passengers, diplomatic coordination, and engagement with domestic and international health authorities," the CDC said in a statement.



The risk to the American public is extremely low at this time, the CDC added.



People in at least three U.S. states were being monitored for potential hantavirus infections after the outbreak on the MV Hondius, though none had shown signs of illness, the New York Times reported earlier on Wednesday.