HOUSTON – Recent headlines surrounding a suspected hantavirus outbreak tied to an international cruise ship have renewed public concern about the rare but potentially deadly disease, especially among people still carrying trauma from the COVID-19 pandemic.
While health experts stress hantavirus is not spreading like COVID-19, the recent deaths connected to the cruise ship outbreak have many Texans asking whether the virus has ever surfaced here at home.
Recommended Videos
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, hantavirus remains extremely rare in Texas and across the United States. The CDC says fewer than 900 total hantavirus cases had been reported nationwide since surveillance began in 1993.
When was the last hantavirus case reported in Texas?
The last publicly documented human hantavirus case in Texas was reported in 2014 in Swisher County in the Texas Panhandle.
Texas health officials said the resident recovered after likely being exposed while dust was stirred up inside a rodent-infested barn.
No new publicly announced human cases have been reported in Texas since then.
How many hantavirus cases have been reported in Texas?
Texas has recorded approximately 49 confirmed hantavirus cases since national tracking began in the early 1990s, according to state and federal health data cited in recent reports.
The virus first gained national attention in 1993 after a deadly outbreak in the Four Corners region of the Southwest, where Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado and Utah meet.
One of the earliest Texas-related cases investigated by the CDC happened in eastern Texas in 1993, involving a woman who died from severe respiratory illness consistent with hantavirus infection.
Where have Texas hantavirus cases happened?
Public health agencies do not routinely release complete county-by-county data because of the small number of cases and privacy concerns.
However, reported Texas cases over the years have largely been connected to rural parts of the state where people may come into contact with rodents, barns, sheds, grain storage areas or cabins.
Known reported areas include:
- Swisher County in the Texas Panhandle (2014)
- Eastern Texas, linked to an investigated fatal illness in 1993
- Other sporadic cases believed to have occurred in rural West Texas and Panhandle regions over the years
What exactly is hantavirus?
Hantavirus is a rare virus primarily spread through contact with infected rodents, especially through urine, droppings or saliva that become airborne when disturbed.
Early symptoms often resemble the flu and can include:
- Fever
- Fatigue
- Muscle aches
- Headaches
- Nausea
In severe cases, the illness can progress into hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, a dangerous respiratory disease that can become life-threatening. The CDC says the fatality rate for severe hantavirus infections is roughly 38%.
Should Texans be worried?
Health experts say hantavirus remains very rare, and unlike COVID-19, most strains found in the United States do not easily spread from person to person.
The CDC says the biggest risk comes from exposure to infected rodents or contaminated areas, particularly when cleaning enclosed spaces where rodent droppings may be present.
Officials recommend Texans avoid sweeping or vacuuming rodent droppings directly, and instead use disinfectants and protective gear when cleaning potentially contaminated spaces.