Bay Area resident exposed to hantavirus aboard MV Hondius cruise ship
SFGATE • • world
Key Points:
- A Bay Area resident exposed to Andes hantavirus on the MV Hondius cruise ship has returned home, with Santa Clara County Public Health officials stating there is no known public risk at this time.
- The MV Hondius cruise ship has been linked to multiple hantavirus cases, including the deaths of a Dutch ornithologist and a German passenger, as well as a British passenger critically ill with the virus.
- Passengers from at least 12 countries, including several U.S. states, disembarked the ship before hantavirus was identified, prompting ongoing monitoring and limited public information due to medical privacy laws.
- Andes hantavirus, primarily found in South America, is rare in its ability to spread between people, with transmission believed to occur mainly when symptomatic individuals expel virus-containing particles through coughing or sneezing.
- Health officials continue to investigate the virus's transmission, emphasizing that it differs from the North American Sin Nombre hantavirus, which has recently gained attention due to unrelated deaths.
