Three King County residents are being monitored for symptoms of potential hantavirus exposure linked to a cruise ship outbreak. Officials said the public risk remains low.
SEATTLE — Three King County residents may have been exposed Hantavirus Health authorities confirmed on Tuesday that it was linked to an outbreak on the MV Hondius cruise ship.
Two King County residents were seated on a plane next to a sick cruise ship passenger. The sick passenger was removed from the plane before takeoff and later tested positive for hantavirus. The third King County resident was a passenger on the MV Hondius cruise ship.
Public Health – Seattle and King County said it was notified of the potential exposure by the Washington State Department of Health.
All three residents are asymptomatic, according to Public Health.
Two residents who may have been exposed on the plane are monitoring symptoms at home. Residents on the cruise ship are being monitored for symptoms at the National Quarantine Center at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, where other U.S. passengers are also quarantined.
Dr. Sandra J. Valenciano, health officer and acting director of public health for Seattle and King County, said the county has a robust contact tracing protocol that has helped curb the spread of hantaviruses in previous outbreaks.
There are no confirmed cases of hantavirus in King County. Health officials say the risk to the public is low.
have 9 confirmed cases of hantavirus According to the World Health Organization, as of May 12, the incident was related to the outbreak on the MV Hondius. Three people died on the cruise ship.
Hantaviruses are primarily spread through contact with wild rodents, such as urine, feces, and saliva. Andes viruses are the only hantavirus that can be transmitted from person to person. Public health authorities say transmission is rare and usually requires close contact with a sick person for an extended period of time.
Valenciano said this hantavirus outbreak is very different from the COVID-19 outbreak because so little was known about the virus.
“In contrast, we have much more information about hantaviruses and how they spread,” Valenciano said in a statement.
