Possible hantavirus case under investigation in Illinois: What to know
Illinois health officials are investigating a suspected hantavirus case in a Winnebago County resident, unrelated to a recent cruise ship outbreak. Officials say the risk to Illinois residents remains very low.
FULL STORY: Possible hantavirus case reported in Illinois. What to know about risk level
Here are key takeaways:
- The Illinois Department of Public Health announced Tuesday it is investigating a potential case in a Winnebago County resident, who likely contracted the virus while cleaning a home with rodent droppings.
- The CDC is conducting additional testing that could take 10 days. The resident has mild symptoms, did not require hospitalization and is recovering.
- The suspected case involves a North American strain, which is not known to spread person-to-person — unlike the Andes strain tied to the recent MV Hondius cruise ship outbreak.
- Illinois has reported seven positive hantavirus cases since 1993, with the most recent confirmed case in March 2025.
- Hantaviruses in the U.S. can cause hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, a severe lung illness. The CDC reports 38% of people who develop respiratory symptoms may die. There is no licensed antiviral treatment or vaccine.
The summary points above were compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists. The full story in the link at top was reported, written and edited entirely by journalists.
This story was originally published May 18, 2026 at 11:55 AM.
Meredith Howard
Belleville News-Democrat