90-Second Read: Canadian MV Hondius cruise passenger tests positive for Hantavirus

Canadian health officials have previously said they are tracking 36 people, including four cruise ship passengers, who are currently in isolation. In Washington state, health officials are investigating six potential cases of Andes Hantavirus, five of which involve people on an international flight with a Hondius passenger who was later diagnosed with the disease, according to the Washington State Department of Health. In a separate case unrelated to the Hondius outbreak, another Washington resident tested positive for the Sin Nombre Hantavirus, the Chelan-Douglas Health District reported Friday. Both were passengers on the Hondius, according to the health agency, and will remain in isolation at the hospital.

There were no known cases of the Andes Hantavirus in the United States as of Friday. The sixth person was exposed to the virus on the Hondius. The Sin Nombre Hantavirus is the most common cause of Hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome in North America and infects humans by way of the saliva, urine or droppings of deer mice, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content. The individual, whose identity officials did not disclose, was hospitalized Thursday along with their spouse, who is also experiencing mild symptoms. The agency said it is following prevention and control protocols, and that samples have been sent to its National Microbiology Laboratory in Winnipeg for "confirmatory testing," with results expected in two days. Four of the individuals are King County residents, while the other two live in eastern Washington, the health department said.