WASHINGTON — According to an internal announcement from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention obtained by STAT, the leading U.S. official overseeing public health on cruise ships is resigning.
Luis Rodríguez, who has been with the Vessel Sanitation Program since 2010 and assumed the role of chief in 2023, is retiring as announced within the CDC on Wednesday.
His departure coincides with a hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship, which has raised concerns among experts and drawn public attention.
This development follows a challenging year for the division and the federal government’s public health efforts in general. In April 2025, full-time employees in the program were laid off, as reported at the time. Administration officials maintained the program, primarily staffed by personnel not affected by the Department of Health and Human Services layoffs, would continue to operate effectively argued the program.
The administration later reinstated the cuts to the cruise ship program, confirmed by an HHS official on Thursday. There was no response regarding who will succeed Rodríguez.
On Wednesday, the CDC stated it is “closely monitoring the situation,” highlighting that the State Department is leading a comprehensive governmental response for U.S. passengers aboard the MV Hondius cruise ship. Currently, the public health risk to Americans is described as “extremely low.”
HHS officials did not grant a request from STAT for an interview with a CDC expert about the outbreak. The State Department also declined to provide details on the number of Americans onboard the ship or plans to monitor those potentially exposed to the virus.
The cruise ship operator, Oceanwide Expeditions, reported that 17 Americans are currently aboard the Hondius. Some passengers from the U.S. had disembarked when the ship docked at St. Helena, prior to the recognition of the outbreak.
Helen Branswell contributed reporting.
