Health
Two Maryland residents monitored for hantavirus after sharing flight with infected cruise ship passenger
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Two Maryland residents are being monitored for potential hantavirus exposure, according to the Maryland Department of Health.
Health officials said the Maryland residents were on a flight that included a passenger from the MV Hondius cruise ship who was infected with hantavirus.
Health authorities said they are taking these steps out of an abundance of caution. At this time, the risk to the public in Maryland remains “very low,” state health officials said.
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View of the cruise ship MV Hondius docked in the port of Granadilla before setting course for the Netherlands, on 11 May, 2026 in Granadilla de Abona, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain. (Europa Press Canarias via Getty Images)
Maryland health officials said the two residents with potential hantavirus exposure were not on the MV Hondius cruise ship, but they were on a flight abroad with a passenger who has the virus.
The department declined to provide additional details about the residents, citing a need to protect their privacy.
Medical staff direct some of the last passengers to be evacuated from the MV Hondius on May 11, 2026 in Tenerife, part of the Canary Islands, Spain. (Chris McGrath/Getty Images)
The two Maryland residents are being monitored during the virus’s incubation period, which can range from four to 42 days. Officials said asymptomatic individuals are not considered infectious.
No hantavirus cases have been reported in Maryland since 2019, and Andes virus infections have never been identified in the state, officials said. Health authorities said they are coordinating with federal and international partners as the situation continues to evolve.
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American passengers from the cruise ship MV Hondius arrived in Omaha, Neb., on Monday, May 11, 2026, after flying from Tenerife, Spain. The ship was stricken with hantavirus. (Nick Ingram/AP)
According to the Maryland Department of Health, hantavirus is typically spread through contact with infected rodents, but the strain tied to the cruise ship – the Andes virus – is the only known type capable of person-to-person transmission.
“The hantaviruses that are found throughout the United States are not known to spread between people,” the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said.
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Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) is a rare infectious disease that starts with flu-like symptoms and can quickly progress to life-threatening lung and heart problems. Several hantavirus strains can cause the illness, also known as hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome, according to Mayo Clinic.
Early symptoms of HPS can include fatigue, fever and muscle aches, with about half of all patients also experiencing headaches, dizziness, chills and abdominal problems, like nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, according to the CDC.
HPS has a nearly 40% fatality rate in those who are infected, according to the CDC. Similar hantavirus cases have been reported in Arizona, California and Georgia.
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Yoga is known to boost relaxation, strength and flexibility – and now a new study has found the practice could improve cancer survivors’ quality of life.
A randomized trial led by the University of Rochester Medical Center found that a four-week yoga program significantly reduced insomnia, fatigue, anxiety and mood disturbances after cancer treatment.
The findings were presented last week at the 2026 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting in Chicago.
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The study was conducted across multiple U.S. community cancer care sites, including 410 adult cancer survivors averaging 54 years of age. Around 75% were breast cancer survivors, and none of them had practiced yoga regularly within the prior three months.
A randomized trial led by the University of Rochester Medical Center found that a four-week yoga program significantly reduced insomnia, fatigue, anxiety and mood disturbances in cancer survivors. (iStock)
The participants were randomly assigned to two groups. Half of them received only standard survivorship care without the yoga, while the other half received standard care and were also enrolled in the Yoga for Cancer Survivors (YOCAS) program.
As part of the YOCAS program, the survivors completed two instructor-led 75-minute yoga sessions each week, including 18 Gentle Hatha yoga and Restorative yoga poses, breathing exercises and mindfulness training.
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Based on questionnaires completed by the patients, the survivors in the yoga group experienced “moderate-to-large” reductions in overall mood disturbance, “small-to-medium” reductions in anxiety and “medium-to-large” reductions in fatigue, the study found.
The improvements in mood and fatigue appeared to be linked to yoga’s beneficial effect on sleep quality, according to the researchers.
As part of the YOCAS program, the survivors completed two instructor-led 75-minute yoga sessions each week, including 18 Gentle Hatha yoga and Restorative yoga poses, breathing exercises and mindfulness training. (iStock)
“This indicates that cancer survivors have an option to alleviate these cancer-related side effects at the same time, without adding another drug,” lead investigator Yuri Choi, PhD, of the Wilmot Cancer Institute, University of Rochester Medical Center, in Rochester, New York, told Fox News Digital.
The study did not reveal any major safety concerns or serious adverse events related to the yoga practice.
“This indicates that cancer survivors have an option to alleviate these cancer-related side effects at the same time, without adding another drug.”
The study did have some limitations, chiefly that the findings are preliminary and have not yet been peer-reviewed for a medical publication.
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“The sample in our clinical trial was relatively homogeneous, with most participants being women (96%), breast cancer patients (75%), Caucasian (93%), and having some college or higher education (82%),” noted Choi.
“We are adapting our intervention to reach all cancer patients and survivors, including the creation of a mobile app to reach people in rural communities.”
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The research also excluded patients with metastatic cancer (whose disease had spread to other parts of the body).
The total study was only four weeks, so more research is needed to determine long-term benefits.
If the findings are confirmed by peer-reviewed publications, this could lead to recommendations for structured yoga programs as a non-drug supportive therapy for cancer survivors, the researchers noted. (iStock)
If the findings are confirmed by peer-reviewed publications, this could lead to recommendations for structured yoga programs as a non-drug supportive therapy for cancer survivors, the researchers noted.
Some yoga studios may use different names for Gentle Hatha and Restorative yoga, such as Foundations Yoga or Healing Yoga, Choi noted.
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“Survivors should also look for certified yoga instructors who have experience working with cancer patients/survivors or individuals with other challenging health conditions,” the researcher advised. “They should not be afraid to ask their oncology team for referrals to qualified instructors in their community.”
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Choi also noted that the research did not reveal whether other types of yoga, such as heated-room or rigorous-flow yoga, are safe or beneficial for cancer survivors.
The study was funded by the National Cancer Institute.
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