3 King County residents possibly exposed to hantavirus linked to cruise
The Seattle Times • • general
Key Points:
- Three King County residents may have been exposed to the Andes hantavirus linked to a deadly outbreak on the MV Hondius cruise ship, with two exposed on a flight near a sick passenger and one who was on the ship; all are currently asymptomatic and being monitored.
- The Andes virus is unique among hantaviruses for its rare person-to-person transmission, typically requiring prolonged close contact, and symptoms can take one to eight weeks to appear.
- Public health officials emphasize the low risk to the general public in King County and are closely monitoring the potentially exposed individuals through June 6 while urging continued vigilance and cross-border cooperation.
- The outbreak on the MV Hondius has resulted in at least three deaths and multiple infections among passengers from various countries, with investigations ongoing into the virus's origin, possibly linked to a bird-watching trip before the cruise.
- Unlike the novel SARS-CoV-2 virus, hantavirus has been studied since the 1990s, and Washington state primarily contends with a different hantavirus type that does not spread between people.