After a Santa Clara resident returned home from the Hantavirus cruise ship, where at least three passengers reportedly died after exposure to a strain known as the Andes virus.
The California Department of Public Health addressed those concerns during a press conference Monday, emphasizing that while Hantavirus infections can be severe, they remain extremely rare.
“Even the Andes virus and Hantavirus have been around for many years,” said Kimberly Hernandez, lead epidemiologist and division director with Kern Public Health. “It’s not considered a common infection, but it is something health officials closely watch. Anytime you have groups of people in small, enclosed settings, there’s always a risk of disease transmission.”…