Maryland monitors 2 residents after possible hantavirus exposure on flight

2 passengers test positive for hantavirus | FOX 5 AT 6AM

A French woman and an American tested positive for the hantavirus, as nations around the world scrambled Monday to repatriate passengers from a cruise ship hit by a deadly outbreak and quarantine or isolate them.

BALTIMORE, MD. - The Maryland Department of Health is monitoring two Maryland residents who may have been exposed to hantavirus after being on a flight that briefly included a passenger from the cruise ship M/V Hondius who was infected with the virus.

Officials emphasized in a statement that the residents were not passengers on the cruise ship itself. Instead, the potential exposure occurred during international air travel. Health authorities said they are taking the precautionary step of monitoring out of an abundance of caution.

At this time, state health officials say the risk to the public in Maryland remains very low. The department also said it will not release additional information about the two residents in order to protect their privacy.

Dig deeper:

Hantaviruses are a family of viruses typically carried by rodents, and cases are known to occur in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Most forms of the disease are not spread between people. However, the strain linked to the M/V Hondius case — the Andes virus found in South America — is the only known hantavirus capable of person-to-person transmission, though such spread is rare and generally requires close, prolonged contact or exposure to bodily fluids, according to a statement from Maryland health officials. 

According to health officials, the incubation period for hantavirus can range from four to 42 days. People who are asymptomatic are not considered infectious.

Officials said they are coordinating with federal and international partners, as well as medical experts and specialized treatment centers that handle emerging infectious diseases. They added that the situation is evolving and guidance could change as more information becomes available.

What you can do:

More information about hantavirus and the outbreak connected to the M/V Hondius cruise ship is available through the CDC.