Al Roker's Unexpected Hantavirus Testing Request After Daughter's Wedding

When you’re flying home from a major family milestone, the last thing you expect is to be flagged by the CDC. But that’s exactly what happened to Al Roker after jetting back from Europe following his daughter Leila’s wedding.

On the Tuesday, May 12 episode of Today, the 71-year-old weatherman revealed that federal health officials were asking passengers to voluntarily test for something—though they weren’t exactly forthcoming about what.“I was coming from Europe this weekend from my daughter’s wedding, and the CDC was asking people to voluntarily test,”Roker explained on air.“But they didn’t say for what, so I just wonder if it was a precaution here.”He stopped short of disclosing whether he actually went through with any testing.

The timing wasn’t random. The MV Hondius cruise ship, carrying 150 passengers, had become ground zero for a hantavirus outbreak that’s been making headlines for all the wrong reasons. Three people have died and nine cases have been confirmed—all connected to a voyage that departed from Argentina. Health authorities believe a Dutch couple contracted the Andes strain of hantavirus during a pre-cruise bird-watching expedition in Chile and Argentina, then unknowingly brought it aboard. The Dutchman died first in April while still on the ship. His wife became ill after leaving with his body and collapsed in Johannesburg, where she later died after testing positive. A German woman also died onboard, with her body later testing positive for the virus.

Hantavirus isn’t your typical travel worry. It’s a rare but serious infectious disease typically transmitted through rodent urine, droppings, or saliva—which is why outbreaks are uncommon on cruise ships. But the Andes strain, originating from South America, has a nasty distinction: it can spread directly from person to person through prolonged contact. That’s what made this outbreak particularly alarming to public health officials.

After the outbreak became public knowledge, Spanish officials allowed the MV Hondius to dock in the Canary Islands on Saturday, May 9. The remaining passengers disembarked and went into quarantine. Eighteen Americans were flown directly from Tenerife to Omaha, Nebraska—and while one person tested mildly positive for the Andes strain and another showed mild symptoms, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has kept close tabs on the situation. The World Health Organization has assessed the risk of a worldwide outbreak as low, but the vigilance—and those mysterious CDC requests at airports—shows just how seriously health authorities are taking this.

It’s a reminder that even in our modern age of international travel and global connectivity, infectious disease can still catch us off guard. And sometimes that catch happens when you’re simply trying to get home from celebrating your daughter’s wedding.