Sin Nombre hantavirus case tied to home mouse exposure in Chelan County
KOMO • • health
Key Points:
- Chelan-Douglas Health District confirmed a case of Sin Nombre virus hantavirus in a Chelan County resident, one of the few cases reported annually in Washington state.
- The infection likely occurred near the individual's home where mice were present, with no link to recent Andes virus cases from a cruise ship.
- Sin Nombre virus hantavirus does not spread person-to-person and is contracted mainly through inhalation of airborne particles from rodent droppings, urine, or saliva.
- Health officials advise taking precautions during activities like spring cleaning or entering rodent-infested areas to reduce exposure risk.
- Deer mice are the primary carriers of the Sin Nombre virus in the western U.S., and hantavirus infections, though rare, can cause severe respiratory illness.