90-Second Read: Hantavirus Outbreak: Prompt Infection Prevention

SNV is a strain associated with Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS), the family of viruses that is also linked to the MV Hondius outbreak. As of May 19, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported no confirmed cases of the Andes virus in the United States due to the cruise ship outbreak. However rare, Hantavirus risk does exist nationwide and requires vigilant and existing infection and control measures.

A study found elevated Hantavirus levels in rodents in the Pacific Northwest, raising the risk of exposure in those communities, and putting cleaning operations in the region on alert. Analyzing rodent samples, Washington State University researchers determined an estimated 30 percent were exposed to the Sin Nombre virus (SNV), with 10 percent infected. This international episode resulted in 11 confirmed cases, including three deaths.

A World Health Organization (WHO) official shared that the disease was likely contracted from a species of rat found among the islands along the coast of Africa. Learn about additional infection prevention and control measures here. Once individuals encountered the virus, it was spread through human-to-human transmission.