Al Roker revealed he was asked to voluntarily test for hantavirus shortly after returning from his daughter’s wedding in Paris. The longtime “Today” show weather anchor opened up about the surprising request during Tuesday’s broadcast while the hosts discussed growing concerns surrounding the rare and potentially deadly respiratory disease.
Al Roker Recently Celebrated Daughter Leila’s Wedding In France
The health scare comes just days after Roker traveled overseas to celebrate daughter Leila Roker’s wedding to longtime boyfriend Sylvain Gricourt. The couple tied the knot in France over Mother’s Day weekend after Gricourt proposed during a romantic surprise trip to Venice in March 2025.
“I was coming from Europe this weekend from my daughter’s wedding, and the CDC was asking people to voluntarily test,” Roker shared on-air. “But they didn’t say for what, so I just wonder if it was a precaution here.”
Roker did not reveal whether he ultimately underwent testing.
Cruise Ship Hantavirus Outbreak Continues, Raising Global Concern
The CDC’s testing precautions come as health officials continue to monitor a growing hantavirus outbreak linked to international travel aboard the MV Hondius, a Dutch cruise ship that traveled from Argentina toward Antarctica and several remote South Atlantic islands.
According to the World Health Organization, nine people worldwide have tested positive in connection with the outbreak so far, with three deaths reported, including a German passenger and a Dutch couple. WHO investigators reportedly believe the outbreak may have originated after the Dutch couple came into close contact with infected wildlife before boarding the ship.
Passengers aboard the vessel have since been advised to quarantine for 42 days beginning from the day they departed the cruise. Meanwhile, one patient currently being treated in a biocontainment unit in Omaha, Nebraska, reportedly tested positive before returning to the United States. Officials said the patient is “doing well and not showing any symptoms.”
Emory University Hospital in Atlanta has also reportedly received two additional patients tied to the outbreak. According to reports, the pair is a couple, and one individual was said to be showing symptoms, though Georgia health officials declined to confirm whether they officially tested positive for hantavirus.
California Officials Monitoring Multiple Hantavirus Exposures
California health officials also confirmed that four residents are currently being monitored after potential exposure to hantavirus connected to the cruise ship outbreak. During a media briefing on Monday, Dr. Erica Pan, director and state public health officer for the California Department of Public Health, said all four individuals are currently healthy and not showing symptoms.
According to Pan, three of the Californians were passengers aboard the MV Hondius. One reportedly left the cruise early and returned home before the outbreak had officially been identified. The fourth individual was not aboard the ship but was allegedly exposed to an infected passenger during a flight in South Africa. “The risk to the general public in California remains extremely low,” Pan said.
Officials confirmed that the two passengers who remained aboard the cruise are currently quarantined in Nebraska alongside other travelers connected to the outbreak. Meanwhile, the passenger who returned home early and the California resident exposed during the flight are both now back in California and continuing to be monitored by public health officials.
World Health Organization Says More Cases Could Still Emerge
The World Health Organization addressed the situation on Tuesday, warning that additional cases may still appear due to the virus’s incubation period and the close quarters aboard the cruise ship. “We expect more cases given the dynamics of spread on a ship and the virus’s incubation period,” the organization wrote on X. “At the moment, there is no sign that we are seeing the start of a larger outbreak,” the statement added.
Hantavirus is a rare respiratory illness typically transmitted through exposure to infected rodents or their droppings. The disease recently made headlines earlier this year following the death of Betsy Arakawa, the wife of the late actor Gene Hackman. Arakawa reportedly died from hantavirus in February 2025, while Hackman later died from severe heart disease.
Donald Trump Reacts To Cruise Ship Hantavirus Concerns
President Donald Trump was also recently asked about concerns surrounding the hantavirus cases linked to the cruise ship outbreak. “I hope it’s fine,” Trump said when questioned by reporters. “All I can do is everything that a president can do, which is something, which is actually somewhat limited.”