SouthernWorldwide.com – Two residents in Maryland are currently under observation for potential exposure to hantavirus, as confirmed by the Maryland Department of Health.
Health officials stated that these Maryland residents were on the same flight as a passenger who had contracted hantavirus from the MV Hondius cruise ship. This measure is being taken as a precautionary step, with state health officials emphasizing that the risk to the general public in Maryland remains very low at this time.
The two individuals being monitored for potential hantavirus exposure were not passengers on the MV Hondius cruise ship itself. Instead, they shared a flight with an individual confirmed to be carrying the virus. The department has withheld specific details about the residents to safeguard their privacy.
These individuals are being monitored throughout the virus’s incubation period, which can last between four and 42 days. Health authorities clarified that individuals who are not showing symptoms are not considered infectious.
Maryland has not reported any hantavirus cases since 2019, and infections caused by the Andes virus, a strain linked to the cruise ship outbreak, have never been identified in the state. Health authorities are actively collaborating with federal and international partners as the situation develops.
According to the Maryland Department of Health, hantavirus is primarily transmitted through contact with infected rodents. However, the Andes virus, which is associated with the cruise ship cases, is unique as it is the only known strain capable of human-to-human transmission.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has stated that hantaviruses commonly found in the United States are not known to spread between people. Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) is a rare but serious infectious disease that initially presents with flu-like symptoms and can rapidly escalate to life-threatening respiratory and cardiac complications.
Several strains of hantavirus can cause HPS, also referred to as hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome. Early symptoms of HPS can include fatigue, fever, and muscle aches. Approximately half of affected individuals also experience headaches, dizziness, chills, and gastrointestinal issues such as nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, as per the CDC.
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The CDC reports that HPS has a fatality rate of nearly 40% among those infected. Similar hantavirus cases have also been documented in Arizona, California, and Georgia.
