IDPH investigating potential hantavirus case in Winnebago County not linked to cruise ship outbreak

WINNEBAGO COUNTY, Ill. (WLS) -- The Illinois Department of Public Health is investigating a potential hantavirus case in an Illinois resident in Winnebago County, not linked to an outbreak on a cruise ship, the agency said Tuesday.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is conducting additional testing.

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The CDC said its test results could take up to 10 days.

It is believed the individual acquired the virus while cleaning a home where rodent droppings were present, IDPH said.

The person is not seriously ill and is recovering after experiencing mild symptoms that did not require hospitalization, IDPH said.

The North American strain of the hantavirus, which the individual is believed to have potentially acquired, is not spread from person to person, IDPH said. This is different from the Andes strain associated with the MV Hondius cruise ship.

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The risk of contracting Hantavirus of any kind remains very low for Illinois residents, IDPH said.

Winnebago County includes Rockford, Illinois.

Excluding this latest potential case, Illinois has had seven positive cases of hantavirus since 1993, most recently in March 2025.

Since surveillance began in 1993, the U.S. recorded 890 cases of Hantavirus over 30 years (1993-2023), IDPH said.

"The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) has not been notified of any Illinois residents being passengers on the MV Hondius during the Hantavirus outbreak. IDPH will proactively update the public should there be any changes. While the risk to Illinois communities is currently very low, IDPH is coordinating closely with health care providers, local public health departments, and emergency management partners. IDPH will continue to monitor the situation closely and provide timely information to the public should there be any notable updates," the IDPH said.