King County Monitors 3 Residents for MV Hondius Hantavirus Exposure as Outbreak Reaches 11 Cases
Updated
Updated · KOMO News · May 12
King County Monitors 3 Residents for MV Hondius Hantavirus Exposure as Outbreak Reaches 11 Cases
15 articles · Updated · KOMO News · May 12
Three King County residents are under public-health monitoring after possible Andes hantavirus exposure tied to the MV Hondius cruise ship, with no current cases reported in the county.
Two sat near an infected cruise passenger on a plane before that traveler was removed and later tested positive; a third resident was on the ship and is being monitored at the University of Nebraska Medical Center quarantine center.
11 cases worldwide have been linked to the outbreak, including nine confirmed infections and three deaths among cruise-ship passengers, according to the World Health Organization.
Health officials said public risk remains low because Andes virus rarely spreads person to person and typically requires prolonged close contact, unlike COVID-19.
With a 50% fatality rate and no vaccine, are we prepared if this rare virus spreads beyond the ship?
How does the first hantavirus cruise outbreak change future health protocols for international travel?
Can a virus with a 42-day incubation period truly be contained before it silently spreads into the public?