Illinois health officials are investigating a potential case of hantavirus in a Winnebago County resident who is believed to have been exposed while cleaning a home containing rodent droppings, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health.

IDPH officials said Tuesday the case is not connected to the recent MV Hondius cruise ship hantavirus outbreak that involved the Andes strain of the virus in South America.

The resident has not traveled internationally, did not have contact with anyone connected to the cruise outbreak, and is recovering after experiencing mild symptoms that did not require hospitalization, IDPH said.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is conducting additional testing to confirm whether the Illinois resident tested positive for hantavirus. State officials said confirmatory testing could take up to 10 days.

According to the IDPH, the suspected case involves a North American strain of hantavirus, which is most commonly linked to exposure to infected rodent droppings and is not spread from person to person.

That differs from the Andes strain associated with the MV Hondius outbreak, which health officials say can spread between people.

“The risk of contracting Hantavirus of any kind remains very low for Illinois residents,” IDPH said in a news release Tuesday.

Commercial antibody testing conducted on the resident is not considered definitive, officials said, which is why CDC confirmation is required.

IDPH said it is working closely with the Winnebago County Health Department and the CDC as the investigation continues.

Excluding the latest potential case, Illinois has recorded seven confirmed hantavirus cases since 1993, including one reported in March 2025, according to the state health department.

Nationally, the CDC recorded 890 hantavirus cases between 1993 and 2023.

Health officials said the strain most commonly seen in the United States is tied to rodent exposure and is not contagious between people. The rodent species associated with the Andes strain outbreak in South America does not live in the United States, according to IDPH.

State officials also urged residents to seek information from verified public health sources and to be cautious about misinformation circulating on social media.

To reduce the risk of exposure, health officials recommend avoiding direct contact with rodent droppings and taking precautions when cleaning areas where rodents may have been present.