Midwesterner who was NOT on rat virus cruise is feared to have hantavirus, as millionaire Oregon doctor, 69, says he caught disease during expedition

By WILL POTTER, US SENIOR NEWS REPORTER Published: 12:25, 13 May 2026 | Updated: 12:29, 13 May 2026 A man in Illinois is feared to have contracted hantavirus despite not being on the cruise ship linked to a recent outbreak across the globe.  The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) said it is investigating a potential hantavirus case in Winnebago County, and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) is conducting additional testing.  The CDC cautioned that its test results for the man's condition could take up to 10 days, and he will remain under strict observation.  Officials said the man was not on board the MV Hondius cruise ship where at least 11 people contracted hantavirus after a breakout last month, with three people killed by the deadly virus.  It is believed the man in Illinois contracted the virus by coming into contact with rodent droppings while cleaning a home, the IDPH said.  'Typically, we see it in cases like this one, where someone was cleaning an area where rats may have dwelled, and it may have aerosolized the either urine or feces from the rat that contain the virus,' Saint Anthony Hospital Infectious Disease Specialist Dr. Alfredo Mena Lora, per ABC7.  Officials said the man showed milk symptoms that did not require hospitalization, and he is recovering as expected.  He is believed to have a North African strain that is not spread person to person, and is different to the Andes strain that broke out on the MV Hondius cruise ship.   A man in Illinois is feared to have contracted hantavirus despite not being on the cruise ship linked to a recent outbreak across the globe. Health officials in Tenerife, where the cruise ship docked, are pictured  No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.