The Brief
- Health officials in Chelan County confirmed a case of the “Sin Nombre” hantavirus strain, which is spread from rodents to humans and is unrelated to the earlier cruise ship outbreak.
- Unlike the “Andes” strain found on the cruise ship, this version is not transmissible between humans, though the family of viruses remains dangerous with a potential 38% mortality rate for those with respiratory symptoms.
- Residents are urged to take precautions during spring cleaning in enclosed spaces, as exposure typically occurs in areas where mice are present.
CHELAN COUNTY, Wash. – Another case of hantavirus has been reported in Washington, this time in Chelan County — and health officials note it has no connection to the cruise ship outbreak in early May.
The Chelan-Douglas Health District on Friday confirmed a single case of the ‘Sin Nombre’ strain of hantavirus. Importantly, it is unrelated to the outbreak on the MV Hondius cruise ship, and is also a different strain.
People on the MV Hondius cruise ship were exposed to Andes hantavirus, which is transmissible from human-to-human.…