90-Second Read: 3 Seattle area residents being monitored for Hantavirus

Three King County residents may have been exposed to the Hantavirus that has killed and sickened passengers aboard the MV Hondius cruise ship. The risk of this virus spreading to residents of King County is low at this time." The Hantavirus outbreak on the MV Hondius has killed three passengers and sickened at least five others, according to the World Health Organization. None of the three King County residents has tested positive for the Hantavirus or shown signs of illness so far, according to health officials. Passengers stand on the deck of the Hantavirus-stricken cruise ship MV Hondius after it arrives at the port of Granadilla in Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain, Sunday, May 10, 2026. Valenciano, acting director of Public Health, Seattle & King County, said in a statement.

These are measures that have contained the spread in previous outbreaks of Hantavirus. They are being monitored along with 15 other Americans at the national quarantine center at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha. Read more about local Hantavirus from Public Health, Seattle & King County here. Another two exposed King County residents have returned home and are isolating. Both residents have now returned to their shared home in King County.

Public Health, Seattle & King County officials said Tuesday that the risk to the public remains low. In contrast, we have decades of information about Hantavirus since disease surveillance began in the 1990s." Valenciano also emphasized that while Hantavirus can cause severe illness, it is rare. Most types of Hantavirus, including those found in Washington state and the United States, don't spread from person to person. The Andes type of Hantavirus that spread on MV Hondius, however, can be spread between people through close contact. One of the King County residents was aboard the MV Hondius ship, but county health officials say that person remains asymptomatic.

Valenciano acknowledged that the current news about Hantavirus is "scary" and "may bring back memories" from the Covid-19 pandemic. But she stressed that the Hantavirus is a "very different situation." "When Covid-19 emerged, it was a novel virus, one that had not been seen before, and there was so much we did not know. They remain asymptomatic and are monitoring for symptoms at home in coordination with the health department. If they must go out, health officials have instructed them to wear a well-fitting respirator or mask. Other public health protocols include daily temperature checks and symptom assessments with public health officials.