Through the Static

By Hannah Saunders

Three King County residents have possibly been exposed to Hantavirus, according to King County Public Health. Two residents were sat on an airplane near an ill passenger who was on the Hondius cruise ship, where the initial outbreak began. There are currently no positive Hantavirus cases in King County.

Those two passengers are currently asymptomatic and monitoring for symptoms at home, and the third person was on board the Hondius; they are being monitored for symptoms at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, alongside other American Hondius ship passengers.

“The Andes type of Hantavirus typically requires close, prolonged contact with someone who is sick. Strong contact tracing and monitoring have been key interventions to contain spread in previous outbreaks,” according to King County Public Health. “We are working closely with state, federal, and international health agencies to coordinate these measures to keep the risk low to the public.”

Last month, Gov. Bob Ferguson made the decision to join the World Health Organization’s Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network (GOARN), which is meant to strengthen the state’s ability to respond to global disease outbreaks. GOARN consists of 360 public health agencies, national governments, academic centers, and others that are focused on the swift detection and prevention of public health emergencies throughout the world.

“Joining GOARN ensures we maintain access to critical global outbreak intelligence and stay connected to leading public health experts, even as federal relationships change. We’re not waiting for the next threat— we’re preparing for it,” Dennis Worsham, Washington State Secretary of Health, previously said.

Hantavirus is a zoonotic and respiratory disease, which has a death rate up to 50% in the Americas. There are no vaccines or specific treatment, and people should be immediately transferred to an emergency department or intensive care unit for supportive care, primarily fluid distribution and respiratory support.

Human to human transmission requires close contact with an infected person’s bodily fluids, including saliva, blood, and urine. Symptoms generally arise anywhere from one to eight weeks after an exposure.

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