Al Roker Says CDC Asked Them To Test For Hantavirus After Europe Trip

According to the television host, Al Roker, CDC’s request came during his return journey from Europe and he said officials did not clearly explain what the testing was for.

13 May 2026, 17:37 · NDTV

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Al Roker reveals travellers arriving in the United States were asked by the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to voluntarily test for Hantavirus.
Al Roker did not reveal if he took part in the voluntary testing, but seems like the authorities are taking extra precautions to help prevent hantavirus from spreading.
AI Roker’s daughter Leila, married her longtime partner, Sylvain Gricourt, in France during Mother’s Day weeken

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Today weatherman Al Roker has revealed that travellers arriving in the United States were asked by the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to voluntarily test for Hantavirus. Roker shared the experience while speaking about his trip home after attending his daughter Leila's wedding in Paris.

Reports claim several passengers on board the MV Hondius cruise ship died while many others became infected. Hantavirus is a rare but serious illness spread mainly through contact with rodents such as rats and mice. Health experts say people can get infected after touching or breathing in particles linked to rodent waste.

Speaking on the Today show, Al Roker said, “I was coming from Europe this weekend from my daughter's wedding, and the CDC was asking people to voluntarily test. But they didn't say for what, so I just wonder if it was a precaution here.”

Al Roker did not reveal if he personally took part in the voluntary testing, but the situation suggests that authorities are taking extra precautions to help prevent hantavirus from spreading into the country.

The journalist's daughter, Leila, married her longtime partner, Sylvain Gricourt, in France during Mother's Day weekend.

As per the CDC, Hantavirus mainly spreads through contact with rodents such as rats and mice. People can become infected when they come into contact with rodent urine, droppings or saliva. In rare situations, the virus can also spread through a rodent bite or scratch.

The virus can lead to two serious illnesses. One of them affects the lungs and is known as hantavirus pulmonary syndrome or HPS. This form is found in the United States and is most commonly linked to deer mice. It can become life threatening and usually causes symptoms within one to eight weeks after exposure.

The second illness, called hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome or HFRS, affects the kidneys. Symptoms often appear within one to two weeks after exposure, but in some rare cases, they may take longer to develop.

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