State & National

CDC declares level 3 emergency over cruise ship hantavirus outbreak; UF Health weighs in

The CDC activated its emergency operations center and assigned a level 3 emergency classification to a hantavirus outbreak linked to a cruise ship that has killed three people. A UF Health Shands chief epidemiologist spoke publicly about the outbreak as the agency coordinated with domestic and international partners. A separate report notes that a strain of hantavirus is carried by cotton rats native to Florida, raising local awareness about exposure risks.

Sources: WCJB TV20 · The Gainesville Sun