Kansas Monitors 3 for Andes Hantavirus Exposure Linked to MV Hondius Case

9 articles · Updated · KWCH · May 12

Three Kansas residents are under monitoring after high-risk international exposure to a person with confirmed Andes hantavirus tied to the MV Hondius cruise ship.
KDHE said none of the three were aboard the ship, none have symptoms, and no suspected or confirmed hantavirus cases have been identified in Kansas.
The state said public risk remains extremely low because Andes virus is generally not considered transmissible until an infected person develops symptoms.
Symptoms can appear 4 to 42 days after exposure and may progress from fever, fatigue and gastrointestinal illness to severe lung disease that can be fatal.

This deadly virus spread person-to-person on a ship. What lessons must the travel industry learn from this isolated outbreak?

With a fatality rate near 50%, is this rare hantavirus outbreak a warning of a future, more lethal pandemic?

Officials say the risk is low but are re-evaluating its spread. How certain is the science behind their public reassurances?