WASHINGTON – The top U.S. official responsible for public health on cruise ships is resigning, according to an internal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announcement obtained by STAT.
The retirement of Luis Rodriguez, who has been part of the Ship Hygiene Program since 2010 and has served as its director since 2023, was announced within the CDC on Wednesday.
Hantavirus outbreak on cruise ship worries experts, but downplays pandemic concerns
His resignation comes at a time when an outbreak of hantavirus on cruise ships has raised concerns among experts and garnered national attention.
It also comes after a turbulent year for the department and broader federal public health operations. The program’s full-time employees were laid off in April 2025, according to media reports at the time. Administration officials maintained that the program will continue to operate, largely staffed by people who have not been subject to large-scale layoffs by the Department of Health and Human Services.
The administration later reversed cuts to the cruise ship program, a Health Department official confirmed Thursday. He did not respond to questions about who would replace Rodriguez.
Spread of hantavirus infections on cruise ships is a warning sign for the US
The CDC said in a statement Wednesday that it is “closely monitoring the situation” and noted that the State Department is coordinating a government-wide response to the U.S. passengers aboard the MV Hondius. The public health risk to Americans is currently “extremely low,” the statement said.
HHS officials previously declined requests from STAT to interview CDC experts about the outbreak. The State Department declined to answer questions about the number of Americans on board the ship or its plans to monitor people who may have been exposed to the virus.
According to cruise ship operator Oceanwide Expeditions, there are currently 17 Americans on board the Hondius. When the cruise ship docked in St. Helena, some American passengers disembarked before the outbreak was recognized.
Helen Branswell contributed reporting.
