OLYMPIA, Wash. — The Washington State Department of Health is investigating two separate hantavirus-related cases.
The first case involves three King County residents who were potentially expose to the Andes strain of hantavirus linked to the MV Hondius cruise ship.
Two people were exposed on a flight with a passenger who later tested positive for the virus and one person was exposed on the ship. All three people are currently not showing any symptoms.
The CDC also told the DOH three other people were on the same flight and are considered to have low-risk exposure. Two of those three individuals live in Eastern Washington. Local health departments are reaching out to those people to assess exposure and monitor for symptoms.
Andes virus is spread by rodents in South America. The rodents that carry the virus have not been found in the United States. In rare cases, the virus can spread from person to person through prolonged, close contact with someone who is sick. No cases of the virus have been reported in Washington residents.
The second investigation involves the first case of Sin Nombre virus hantavirus in the state, which was reported in Chelan County on Friday. This case is not connected to the outbreak on the cruise ship, which was caused by a different type of hantavirus.
Deer mice infected with the Sin Nombre virus are found throughout Washington. Deer mice can spread the virus through urine, saliva, and droppings. People can become infected by breathing contaminated dust, especially in enclosed or rodent-infested spaces. People can also get infected by touching contaminated surfaces or being bitten or scratched by an infected rodent.
DOH says the state on average reports one to five Sin Nombre hantavirus cases each year. Sin Nombre virus does not spread from person to person.
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