KING COUNTY, Wash. — Three people in King County are being monitored after they were potentially exposed to the Andes type of hantavirus linked to the MV Hondius cruise ship.
According to Public Health – Seattle & King County, two of the people were sitting on an airplane near an ill cruise ship passenger who was removed from the aircraft before takeoff. That person later tested positive. Both residents have returned to King County. Health officials say they are at home monitoring for symptoms but are currently asymptomatic.
Health officials are also aware of a third person from King County resident who was a passenger on the MV Hondius cruise ship. That person is also asymptomatic and is currently being monitored with other American passengers at the national quarantine center at the University of Nebraska Medical Center.
Currently, no one in King County has symptoms of hantavirus and there are no cases of the virus in King County. Health officials say the risk to the public is low.
“I know the current news about hantavirus may be scary,” said Dr. Sandra J. Valenciano, Health Officer and Acting Director for Public Health – Seattle & King County. “Even though these individuals do not show signs of illness, we have strong contact tracing and monitoring in place. These are measures that have contained the spread in previous outbreaks of hantavirus. The risk of this virus spreading to residents of King County is low at this time. This is a very different situation from when COVID-19 first emerged – COVID was a novel virus that we knew very little about. In contrast, we have a lot more information about hantavirus and how it spreads.”
What is hantavirus?
Hantavirus is primarily spread from contact with wild rodents, especially when people are exposed to their urine, droppings, and saliva.
It is rare but can cause serious illness.
The Andes virus is the only known type of hantavirus that can spread from person to person, though this type of transmission is rare.
According to health officials, spread between people typically requires prolonged, close contact.