Another Californian was exposed to hantavirus on cruise ship
Los Angeles Times • • world
Key Points:
- Health officials have identified a fifth California resident exposed to the deadly Andes hantavirus strain linked to a Dutch cruise ship outbreak that has killed three people.
- All five exposed Californians are currently asymptomatic, with two quarantined in Nebraska and two monitored in California, while the newly identified individual is in the remote Pitcairn Islands under international health surveillance.
- The Andes virus, which can spread from person to person, has infected 11 passengers on the MV Hondius cruise ship, with a nearly 40% fatality rate for hantavirus pulmonary syndrome caused by the virus.
- The virus is contracted through contact with rodent excreta, and the incubation period can be up to six weeks, complicating efforts to determine the total number of potentially infected individuals.
- The cruise began on April 1 from Argentina, with the first fatalities occurring on April 11, but the outbreak was only officially identified on May 2.