Seattle and King County assess hantavirus risk and prevention

10 articles · Updated · Public Health Insider · May 8

Officials said the Andes hantavirus linked to an international cruise ship outbreak is a very low risk in King County, where six hantavirus cases have been recorded since 1997.
They said local deer mice carry Sin Nombre hantavirus, which does not spread person-to-person, unlike Andes hantavirus, which rarely does so after prolonged close contact.
The agency urged safe cleanup of rodent-infested spaces by wetting droppings with disinfectant and avoiding sweeping or vacuuming, while WHO leads contact tracing tied to the cruise ship outbreak.

Is this fatal cruise ship outbreak a terrifying preview of future pandemics fueled by climate change?

Exposed passengers are now in 12 countries. Can contact tracing alone stop this deadly virus from spreading globally?

With a 50% death rate and no cure, how prepared are health systems for a wider hantavirus outbreak?