Two New Jersey residents are now being monitored after health officials confirmed they were potentially exposed to a person infected with the Andes virus — the hantavirus strain linked to a deadly outbreak aboard the cruise ship MV Hondius that has already killed three people.

The residents were not on the ship. They were exposed during air travel abroad, meaning the virus has now reached New Jersey through ordinary commercial flights. The New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH) says neither resident is currently showing symptoms, and that people without symptoms are not considered infectious. That is reassuring — but it is not enough.

The Andes virus is the only known hantavirus strain that spreads from person to person. Its incubation period ranges from four to 42 days. That means exposed individuals may not show symptoms for over a month — and the full scope of exposure during those flights may not yet be known.

New Jersey residents deserve more than monitoring. They deserve a transparent, aggressive public health response that includes clear guidance on symptoms to watch for, accessible testing for anyone who may have been exposed, and a public accounting of what contact tracing efforts are underway.

The NJDOH has taken a first step by working with local health officials to monitor returning travelers. But with an outbreak spreading across multiple countries and now touching New Jersey, the state must move faster and communicate more clearly.

Sign this petition to demand that New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill and the NJDOH immediately expand contact tracing, make testing accessible, and provide regular transparent updates to the public.

Photo: ABC