Hantavirus reported in Chelan County, WA, unrelated to cruise ship outbreak

3 King County, WA residents exposed to hantavirus: What are the risks?

The Centers for Disease Control has told King County leaders that multiple residents in the western Washington area had exposure to a person who tested positive for a strain of the virus that is linked to the hantavirus outbreak that killed multiple people on a cruise ship last week.

CHELAN COUNTY, Wash. - Another case of hantavirus has been reported in Washington, this time in Chelan County — and health officials note it has no connection to the cruise ship outbreak in early May.

The Chelan-Douglas Health District on Friday confirmed a single case of the ‘Sin Nombre’ strain of hantavirus. Importantly, it is unrelated to the outbreak on the MV Hondius cruise ship, and is also a different strain.

People on the MV Hondius cruise ship were exposed to Andes hantavirus, which is transmissible from human-to-human.

Sin Nombre hantavirus is transmissible only from rodents to humans.

Hantavirus reported in Washington

The health district is withholding some details to protect the patient's privacy, but they suspect exposure occurred in or around the patient's home, where mice have been found.

Health officials urge people to be cautious when spring-cleaning, especially in enclosed spaces where rodents may be present.

"Hantavirus infections are rare, but they can be severe. Counties in north central Washington do see occasional cases. There are typically one to five cases of Sin Nombre virus Hantavirus per year in Washington residents, seen throughout the state" said Dr. James Wallace, the Public Health Officer for CDHD. "Taking simple precautions while cleaning or working in areas where rodents may be present can significantly reduce the risk of exposure."

What is hantavirus?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the hantavirus is actually a family of viruses which cause serious respiratory illness and death.

It causes diseases like hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) and hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS).

According to the CDC, hantavirus pulmonary syndrome affects the lungs, leading to fatigue, fever and muscle aches, eventually escalating into coughing, shortness of breath, and possible tightness in the chest caused by the lungs filling with fluid. The CDC says 38% of people who develop respiratory symptoms may die from the disease.

Hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome affects the kidneys, with symptoms including intense headaches, back and stomach pain, fever, chills, nausea, blurred vision, and occasionally, internal bleeding and acute kidney failure. The CDC reports that Hantaan and Dobrava virus infections cause symptoms where 5–15% of cases are fatal. Seoul, Saaremaa and Puumala virus infections are more moderate, the CDC says, with fewer than 1% of people dying from the disease.

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