90-Second Read: KU Med is monitoring 3 Kansans exposed to deadly Andes Hantavirus, state confirms

The three Kansas residents who came into close contact with a person who tested positive for the Andes Hantavirus are being monitored at the University of Kansas Medical Center in Kansas City, Kansas, state health officials say. There are no confirmed cases of the Andes Hantavirus in Kansas, and the risk to the general public from the Andes virus remains extremely low. The Andes Hantavirus is a disease that can spread through exposure to rodent droppings, urine and saliva, but can sometimes be contracted from prolonged contact with an infected person, according to the KDHE.

The three state residents came in contact with an individual who was a guest on the MV Hondius Cruise and later tested positive for the virus. State health officials previously declined to say where they were being monitored. Bronaugh said KDHE will notify the public if there are any confirmed cases in the state.

The virus can cause a severe respiratory illness called Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome that includes early symptoms of fatigue, fever and muscle aches. The Associated Press reports the ship has so far led to nine confirmed cases and three deaths, including a couple from the Netherlands who were believed to be the first exposed to the virus while visiting South America. None of them have so far tested positive for the respiratory disease that stems from rodents, according to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.