Hantavirus Concerns Discussed During Charles County Commissioners Meeting

LA PLATA, Md. — Charles County health officials told commissioners that the risk of a widespread hantavirus outbreak remains low, despite increasing national attention surrounding recent exposure cases and emerging virus concerns.

The discussion happened during the Charles County Department of Health’s biannual report presentation to the Charles County Board of Commissioners on May 12, 2026. Commissioner BJ Bowling asked county health leaders to provide additional information on hantavirus preparedness after hearing increased discussion about the virus in national news coverage.

Commissioner BJ Bowling said he wanted the county to remain proactive when it comes to emerging public health concerns, especially after local governments and residents experienced the challenges brought by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I’ve been hearing it in the news popping up,” Bowling said during the meeting while asking health officials to provide more information about hantavirus at a future briefing. Bowling added that living through the coronavirus pandemic has made many people more aware and sensitive to discussions surrounding new viruses and how local governments prepare and respond.

Dr. Dianna Abney, health officer for the Charles County Department of Health, explained that while recent reports tied to cruise ship exposures have raised public concern, the likelihood of a countywide or nationwide outbreak remains “very unlikely” because of how hantavirus spreads.

Health officials said hantavirus is primarily spread through contact with infected rodents or airborne particles linked to rodent waste, rather than the rapid person-to-person transmission seen with illnesses such as COVID-19 or influenza. Officials also noted that exposed individuals connected to recent incidents are being monitored and quarantined.

Ms. Amber Starn, director of Community Health and Evaluation for the Charles County Department of Health, said many people remain sensitive to discussions surrounding emerging viruses following the coronavirus pandemic.

“We’re all a little traumatized from the last time,” Starn said during the meeting.

Starn explained that hantavirus behaves much differently than viruses such as COVID-19 because it does not mutate as quickly and generally does not spread easily between people.

“We have to remember that hantavirus isn’t like the flu and COVID,” Starn said. “It doesn’t mutate as quickly, which is what made that coronavirus spread so quickly and get to so many different people.”

She added that most hantavirus transmission occurs from rodents to humans rather than person to person, significantly reducing the potential for large outbreaks.

County health staff also warned that norovirus outbreaks remain a more immediate concern in confined spaces such as schools and cruise ships because of how quickly the illness spreads. Officials repeatedly stressed the importance of hand washing, staying home when sick and covering coughs and sneezes to help reduce disease transmission.

The discussion also comes as the Maryland Department of Health recently stated the hantavirus risk in Maryland remains “very low” while monitoring two Maryland residents who were on a flight that briefly included a cruise ship passenger infected with hantavirus, according to a public notice shared by the state this week.

To learn more about programs and services offered through the Charles County Department of Health, including behavioral health resources, wellness initiatives, vaccinations, recovery programs and community outreach services, visit Charles County Department of Health.

Maryland residents can also learn more about hantavirus and related public health information through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention hantavirus information page.

Learn more about the CDC investigation into the “2026 Multi-country Hantavirus Cluster Linked to Cruise Ship” through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advisory.

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