How this assessment works
This checker applies the exposure classification framework published by WHO in DON601 (13 May 2026) and the CDC Health Advisory Network notice HAN-00528. It categorises your situation into one of three tiers based on the proximity and duration of your contact with confirmed or probable Andes hantavirus cases or the environments where transmission occurred.
The questions mirror what public health officials ask during contact tracing: Were you on the ship? Did you share enclosed transport? Did you have direct physical contact with a case? Have you been in a rodent-endemic environment recently? Your answers determine which monitoring protocol applies to you and which national health authority to contact.
Why the 42-day window matters
Andes virus has the longest documented incubation period of any hantavirus, up to 42 days between exposure and symptom onset. This means someone exposed on 1 April could develop symptoms as late as 13 May. Most cases appear within two to four weeks, but the outer bound is what drives the monitoring timeline. CDC guidance states that returnees should be monitored for the full 42 days from their last potential exposure to a confirmed case, though the US has adopted a shorter quarantine with home self-monitoring for asymptomatic individuals.
Understanding high-risk vs low-risk exposure
CDC defines high-risk exposure as prolonged close contact with a symptomatic case — sharing a cabin, sharing meals face-to-face, handling contaminated bedding, or close proximity during travel (such as adjacent seats on a flight with a symptomatic passenger). Low-risk exposure includes being on the same ship but in a different section, or transiting through the same airport without direct contact. The distinction matters because it determines whether active health authority follow-up or self-monitoring is recommended.
Learn the symptoms to watch for →