Updated May 14, 2026 01:58PM<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
An outbreak of hantavirus on a cruise ship this month in the south Atlantic has captured the attention of people worldwide. On May 4, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported<\/a> seven confirmed cases of the illness aboard the ship, and three deaths; the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) plans to quarantine the Americans among the passengers in a hospital in Omaha, Nebraska. It\u2019s the most notable outbreak in years of hantavirus,<\/a> one of several of a family of potentially fatal viruses spread by inhalation of particles contaminated with rodent feces, urine, or saliva.<\/p>\n Hikers and backpackers spend little time in enclosed spaces, meaning our risks for contracting airborne illnesses are already lower than the general public. But those hiking to and camping in lean-tos, cabins, and huts could find themselves in a rodent-infested space. In fact, the U.S.\u2019s most recent notable outbreak happened in a campground in 2012, when 10 people became ill and three died after staying at Yosemite\u2019s Curry Village. So do backpackers need to worry about hantavirus?<\/p>\n Dr. Scott McClelland, a Seattle-based hiker and specialist in infectious diseases at UW Medicine, says backpackers\u2019 risk of contracting hantavirus is extremely low.<\/p>\n \u201cThere are typically just 30 cases of hantavirus infection in the U.S. each year,\u201d he says. \u201cVirtually all of them are west of the Mississippi, so depending where people are, there may be no risk. About half of those cases occur in the Four Corners area, so a little bit bigger risk there. But overall, the risk is really low.\u201d<\/p>\n In the U.S., infected deer mice are common carriers for hantavirus. After an incubation period that can last weeks, hantavirus initially presents with flu-like symptoms that can worsen and lead to severe and even deadly respiratory illness.<\/p>\n There are several strains of hantavirus, some of which are not found in the U.S. The Andean form, which is responsible for the recent outbreak aboard the MV Hondius cruise ship, has been identified in the U.S. previously, though rarely.<\/p>\n \u201cMost of what we have is the Sin Nombre virus, which is most famous for the [1993] outbreak in the Four Corners area, when hanta really came to the attention of people in the U.S.,\u201d says McClelland.<\/p>\n According to McClelland, there is no evidence that Sin Nombre is transmitted from human to human. It was this strain that was responsible for Yosemite\u2019s 2012 outbreak.<\/p>\n The Andean form, on the other hand, is the only variety where there\u2019s been evidence of person-to-person spread.<\/p>\n \u201cI think people are very attuned to this right now because we\u2019re relatively close on the heels of a pandemic, and so something that can be transmitted by breathing is really scary,\u201d McClelland says. \u201cThe important thing in terms of human-to-human transmission, even when we\u2019re talking about the Andean virus, is that it takes prolonged close contact.\u201d<\/p>\n Might the cruise ship outbreak lead to rapid spread of hantavirus? McClelland says it\u2019s exceedingly unlikely.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are almost certainly not on the verge of a new pandemic because the virus just doesn\u2019t spread easily enough,\u201d he says. \u201cWhat we have is sort of a decreasing rather than an increasing outbreak overall.\u201d<\/p>\n When it comes to backpacking and camping in primitive structures, McClelland says a person may be more at risk cleaning out an infested space than spending the night. So while it can be tempting to sweep out a lean-to upon arrival, take caution unless you have an N95 mask, especially if you see droppings or evidence of a rodent nest. Opening a cabin or shelter for the season and planning to do some cleaning? Pack in a mask.<\/p>\n While the risk of exposure to hanta is minimal for most backpackers in the U.S., McClelland says that there are other potential hazards associated with sleeping in backcountry shelters<\/a> if they are infested with rodents.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s also a risk, albeit low, of something called tick-borne relapsing fever, which is from a bite of a soft-bodied tick, so a teeny little tick that people usually don\u2019t see,\u201d he says. Rat-bite fever is another possible threat contracted not only through bites, but potentially through contact with rodent urine.<\/p>\n Luckily for hikers, McClelland says exposure to these diseases is easy to avoid. Just because you see a mouse around camp doesn\u2019t mean you\u2019re at risk. Look for signs of infestation before bedding down for the night.<\/p>\n \u201cIdeally, don\u2019t sleep in a heavily rodent-infested space,\u201d he says. Properly storing your food near shared shelters can help keep the space critter-free. Don\u2019t leave anything behind in a shelter such as toilet paper, which rodents may find to be attractive nesting material. And if you have concerns about a shelter, rest assured that tent camping carries virtually no risk of exposure to hantavirus and other rodent-borne illnesses. When cleaning out rodent-infested spaces, always wear an N95 mask and ensure that the space is well-ventilated<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cWith just very simple avoidance of that particular setting, hikers are safe from this,\u201d he says. \u201cAnd there are more important things for hikers to be concerned about in terms of infectious disease in the wilderness. Those are in particular going to be your tick-borne and your mosquito-borne illnesses. So wear your bug repellent.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/div>\nWhat is Hantavirus?<\/h2>\n
Hantavirus and Backcountry Shelters<\/h2>\n
How to Stay Safe While Hiking and Backpacking<\/h2>\n