VDH says a Virginia traveler linked to the deadly MV Hondius hantavirus outbreak is now home, healthy and under public health monitoring.
VIRGINIA, USA — The Virginia Department of Health (VDH) says it is monitoring a situation involving a cruise ship linked to a hantavirus outbreak, confirming that one Virginia traveler has returned home.
According to VDH, the individual is currently in good health, showing no signs of infection, and is under public health monitoring.
VDH said it is in active communication with federal partners at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and will continue to follow recommended public health measures.
“Generally speaking, we believe the risk to the general public to be low,” the agency said in a statement.
The update comes as global health authorities track passengers from the MV Hondius, where a deadly hantavirus outbreak was reported. More than two dozen people from at least 12 countries disembarked the ship without contact tracing nearly two weeks after the first death.
RELATED: How a deadly hantavirus outbreak unfolded on a cruise ship for weeks before it was identified
At least three passengers have died, and several others have become sick, according to international health officials. Passengers who left the ship on April 24 are now being monitored across multiple continents.
Health experts say hantavirus is typically spread through contact with infected rodent droppings, but the strain found aboard the ship can be transmitted person to person. Symptoms can appear anywhere from one to eight weeks after exposure.
“What people are seeing right now on the news, they have confirmed that it is a type of hantavirus called Andes virus,” said Dr. Laurie Forlano, the state epidemiologist with the Virginia Department of Health. “Most hantaviruses are not transmissible person to person; with this certain type, the Andes strain, it is possible to transmit from person to person.”
Forlano said this strain has identifiable symptoms that are similar to other common illnesses.
“And the symptoms would be things like fever, achiness, what we call prodrome, flu-like illness,” said Forlano.
Forlano said the Virginian who was aboard the cruise ship has not been diagnosed with the virus, but is being closely monitored by health officials.
“We are aware of this person; he is in contact with us. That person remains in good health, the local health department is engaged with him in what we call public health monitoring, we check in on this person every day,” said Forlano.
There are protocols in place, she said, for the moment that anything concerning the person’s condition changes.
“At any point in time, the person reports having symptoms or a fever or something like that, at that point we would arrange for a medical evaluation and testing if necessary,” she said.
Forlano said she understands the scare that this news can bring to somebody, but she, too, believes that public health risk is low.
“I truly believe that the risk to the general public is low,” said Forlano.
Officials say none of the remaining passengers or crew aboard the ship are currently showing symptoms.
VDH said it will continue to provide updates as more information becomes available.
The Associated Press contributed to this article.
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