The Washington State Department of Health is working with local and federal partners on two separate hantavirus-related investigations. According to a news release, one investigation involves individuals potentially exposed to cases linked to the MV Hondius cruise ship outbreak, while the other involves a hantavirus infection unrelated to the cruise ship. The cases involve different virus strains and exposure circumstances and are not connected.
Hantaviruses are a group of viruses carried by different rodent species. Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome or HPS is a rare but serious disease caused by exposure to infected rodents or their droppings, urine, or saliva. About one out of three people diagnosed with the HPS strain have died.
Last week, Public Health – Seattle & King County announced monitoring of three King County residents who were potentially exposed to the Andes strain of hantavirus linked to the cruise ship. Two individuals were exposed during an international flight by a passenger who was later diagnosed with the Andes virus strain, and one individual was exposed on the cruise ship. All three people are currently asymptomatic. Potentially exposed people are monitored for 42 days after their last exposure to a person infected with the Andes virus…