Colorado health officials are investigating a death from hantavirus.
The person who died was an adult in Douglas County, according to the state health department and the Douglas County Health Department.
The case, they said, is not linked to the MV Hondius cruise ship outbreak that’s generated headlines globally. The outbreak is due to a different strain from the type found in Colorado, which is called Sin Nombre.
“So at this point, we really don't see any Colorado connections to that cruise ship outbreak,” said Dr. Rachel Herlihy, the state's epidemiologist.
More than a dozen Americans from the ship were quarantined in Nebraska last week. They were among about 150 cruise passengers who spent weeks aboard the boat during the outbreak. It infected at least 11 people, including three who died, according to the World Health Organization.
Hantavirus infections caused by the strain found in Colorado usually happen in the spring and summer. They can cause a severe and sometimes deadly respiratory disease.
The deer mouse is the rodent species that most commonly exposes people to the virus. “The risk to people comes from cleaning up after rodents from exposure to urine, droppings and even saliva from these rodents,” Herlihy said.
She said avoiding those things, plus their nests, is the best protection.
Since 1993, Colorado has recorded 133 cases of the strain of hantavirus found here, with 48 deaths, according to a Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment spokesperson.
The Andes virus, the one linked to the cruise ship cases, is the only type of hantavirus known to spread person-to-person, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Spread is usually limited to people who have close contact with the sick person.
The state health department is working closely with its local partners following standard protocols to investigate the Douglas County case and identify the source of exposure, the spokesperson said.
“Preliminary evidence suggests the infection was acquired by local exposure to rodents. The risk to the general public remains low, and the investigation is ongoing,” she said.
More resources
Hantavirus case data in Colorado between 2016 and 2025 can be found on the state health department’s reportable disease data dashboard; historical data from before that, from 1993 to 2023, can be found on the CDPHE hantavirus website.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also has a dashboard that lists hantavirus cases in the U.S. from 1993 through 2023.
