Fourth King County resident linked to cruise ship hantavirus outbreak
Public health officials in King County are monitoring a fourth resident who may have been exposed to the hantavirus linked to a cruise ship, according to a Public Health – Seattle & King County announcement on Friday.
Separately, Chelan-Douglas Health District officials announced the same day that a Chelan County resident is infected with a hantavirus type that is unrelated to the cruise ship cases.
The possible exposures announced in King County this week are the first to be reported among Washington residents in connection with the MV Hondius. The Dutch ship departed Argentina last month and sailed across the Atlantic Ocean, arriving Sunday at Spain's Canary Islands. Three cruise passengers, from the Netherlands and Germany, have died and others have been infected.
The risk to the public remains low, King County health officials said.
None of the King County adults have tested positive, and no one in the county has reported symptoms, Dr. Sandra Valenciano, health officer and acting director for the health department, said Tuesday. One of the residents was on the cruise ship.
The fourth resident announced on Friday is currently asymptomatic, as well, according to a news release from Public Health – Seattle & King County. The resident was not on the cruise ship but was on a flight from Johannesburg to Amsterdam with an ill cruise ship passenger before takeoff. The ill passenger was removed from the flight before the plane took off, according to the news release.
The person is considered at low risk for infection because they were not seated near the ill passenger, the news release states.
Valenciano said in the release that the agency found out about the fourth resident on Thursday and reached them on Friday. All four residents are following public health protocols, she said.
Hantavirus in Chelan County
The type of hantavirus the Chelan County resident has, Sin Nombre virus, is rare but occurs in Washington. There are typically one to five cases of it per year in Washington, public health officer Dr. James Wallace said in the district's news release. There is no connection between the case reported Friday and the recently reported cruise ship cases, which are known as the Andes virus.
The Sin Nombre virus, unlike the Andes virus, does not spread from person to person. There have been six cases of Sin Nombre infections in King County since 1997, the last of which occurred in 2023.
The Andes virus is the only known type of hantavirus that can spread from person to person, health officials said. Such transmission is rare, and studies show that spread between people typically requires prolonged, close contact with a person sick with the Andes virus, according to the King County health department.
The most recent hantavirus death in Washington was last year, when a Whitman County resident died from it.
The Chelan County resident was most likely exposed to the Sin Nombre virus in or around their home, where deer mice were reportedly encountered, according to the news release. Exposure to infected rodents or their droppings, urine or saliva can cause infection.
Health officials said people should take precautions when entering enclosed spaces where rodents may be present. When virus particles become airborne, particularly in areas like cabins, campers, sheds, garages or crawl spaces, it can lead to an infection. Less commonly, people can become infected by touching contaminated objects and then touching their eyes, nose or mouth. Being bitten or scratched by an infected rodent can also cause infection.
The health district recommended people air out enclosed spaces for 30 minutes before cleaning, wear gloves and a respirator and spray any rodent droppings, urine or nesting materials with a disinfectant or bleach solution and let soak for five minutes.
Symptoms of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome typically develop one to eight weeks after exposure and include fever, fatigue, muscle aches, chills, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. One out of three people diagnosed with hantavirus have died, the news release notes.
More information about hantavirus and safe cleanup practices can be found at www.cdhd.wa.gov/hantavirus.
Copyright 2026 Tribune Content Agency. All Rights Reserved.