Three King County, WA residents monitored for rare Andes hantavirus

KING COUNTY, Wash. - Three King County residents are being monitored for symptoms after potential exposure to the Andes type of hantavirus linked to the MV Hondius cruise ship, according to Public Health – Seattle & King County.

Public health monitoring underway

CDC notifies King Co., WA of possible Hantavirus resident exposures

Three residents in King County, Washington were exposed to the Hantavirus strain found on the cruise ship outbreak in May 2026. Two of those residents were on a plane next to someone who tested positive with the deadly virus linked to the ship outbreak.

What we know:

On Tuesday, Public Health was notified by the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of potential exposure involving three local residents. Two of the King County residents were on a plane near a sick cruise ship passenger who later tested positive for the virus. Those two residents are currently at home and show no symptoms. A third resident, who was a passenger on the MV Hondius, is being monitored at a national quarantine center in Nebraska.

What we don't know:

While officials have confirmed the potential exposure, it is currently unknown exactly when the third resident being monitored at the University of Nebraska Medical Center will be cleared to return to King County.

This aerial picture shows a general view of the cruise ship MV Hondius stationary off the port of Praia, the capital of Cape Verde, on May 3, 2026. (Credit: AFP via Getty Images)

The backstory:

Hantavirus is typically spread through contact with wild rodents, specifically their urine, droppings, and saliva. The Andes virus is unique because it is the only known type of hantavirus that can spread between people, though this usually requires prolonged, close contact. Dr. Sandra J. Valenciano, Health Officer for Public Health – Seattle & King County, noted that this situation differs from the early days of COVID-19 because health officials already have significant information on how this virus spreads.

What they're saying:

"I know the current news about hantavirus may be scary," said Dr. Valenciano. "Even though these individuals do not show signs of illness, we have strong contact tracing and monitoring in place. These are measures that have contained the spread in previous outbreaks of hantavirus."

Americans on board hantavirus cruise return home

Nearly a dozen people who were on board a Dutch-based cruise ship have tested positive for hantavirus, including one American. Another American passenger remains symptomatic and is being monitored in Georgia.

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