SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) – Medical professionals are closely monitoring the Andes strain of hantavirus after two people from Georgia were on a cruise ship where an outbreak started, with one confirmed to be in Brunswick.
Dr. Timothy Connelly at Memorial Health said they’re closely monitoring the Andes strain, which has a 30% mortality rate and can be transmitted from person to person.
Virus differs from typical hantavirus
People typically associate hantavirus with ingesting rodent feces. Matt Rippetoe, owner and district commercial operator at Truly Nolan Pest Control, said deer mice are the number one culprit for carrying this.
“The white-footed mouse is a close cousin to that known. We don’t really have a lot of either of those in coastal Georgia,” Rippetoe said…