Two Maryland residents monitored for hantavirus after sharing flight with infected cruise ship passenger

Two Maryland residents are being monitored for potential hantavirus exposure, according to the Maryland Department of Health.

Health officials said the Maryland residents were on a flight that included a passenger from the MV Hondius cruise ship who was infected with hantavirus.

Health authorities said they are taking these steps out of an abundance of caution. At this time, the risk to the public in Maryland remains "very low," state health officials said.

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Maryland health officials said the two residents with potential hantavirus exposure were not on the MV Hondius cruise ship, but they were on a flight abroad with a passenger who has the virus.

The department declined to provide additional details about the residents, citing a need to protect their privacy.

The two Maryland residents are being monitored during the virus’s incubation period, which can range from four to 42 days. Officials said asymptomatic individuals are not considered infectious.

No hantavirus cases have been reported in Maryland since 2019, and Andes virus infections have never been identified in the state, officials said. Health authorities said they are coordinating with federal and international partners as the situation continues to evolve.

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According to the Maryland Department of Health, hantavirus is typically spread through contact with infected rodents, but the strain tied to the cruise ship – the Andes virus – is the only known type capable of person-to-person transmission.

"The hantaviruses that are found throughout the United States are not known to spread between people," the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said.

Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) is a rare infectious disease that starts with flu-like symptoms and can quickly progress to life-threatening lung and heart problems. Several hantavirus strains can cause the illness, also known as hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome, according to Mayo Clinic. 

Early symptoms of HPS can include fatigue, fever and muscle aches, with about half of all patients also experiencing headaches, dizziness, chills and abdominal problems, like nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, according to the CDC. 

HPS has a nearly 40% fatality rate in those who are infected, according to the CDC. Similar hantavirus cases have been reported in Arizona, California and Georgia.