Updated May 8, 2026
Arizona photojournalist Gilbert Zermeño, who survived hantavirus two decades ago after losing his mother and sister to the disease, says the recent outbreak has been difficult to process.
“It takes you back, and it’s no less painful now than it was back then. It’s hard. I’m not going to lie,” Zermeño told CBS News’ The Daily Report.
Zermeño says he became ill in 2002 after cleaning his family home in Texas following the deaths of his relatives. He believes he was exposed to rodent droppings, developed hantavirus, and spent several days hospitalized in Phoenix. His mother and sister were initially misdiagnosed — doctors first attributed their deaths to sepsis before later determining hantavirus was the cause. Because the illness is rare, Zermeño says his own diagnosis was complicated and required help from family members who work in medicine.
The current outbreak has been linked to a Dutch-flagged cruise ship and is reported to involve nine confirmed or suspected cases, including three deaths. The association with a cruise vessel and the use of the word “virus” online have, Zermeño says, driven public anxiety and misinformation.
Public health officials have sought to calm fears. Ann Lindstrand, a World Health Organization representative in Cape Verde, told CBS News there is no indication of a pandemic-level threat given the low likelihood of sustained human-to-human transmission. Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, acting director at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said hantavirus “is not spread by people without symptoms, transmission requires close contact, and the risk to the American public is very low.”
Drawing on his experience, Zermeño urged people to rely on trustworthy medical information and to have a plan if they suspect exposure. “Listen to your medical professionals and have a plan in the event that you do feel that you were exposed to the hantavirus or to someone who had hantavirus,” he said, adding that the chance of catching it from another person is “minuscule.”
For those seeking context, experts emphasize that hantavirus typically spreads through contact with infected rodents or their droppings rather than casual person-to-person spread, and that affected communities should follow public health guidance and avoid unverified claims circulating online.