AUSTIN, Texas (EAST TEXAS NEWS) – Two Texas residents were traveling as passengers aboard the MV Hondius, a vessel on which a hantavirus outbreak occurred while it was sailing in the Atlantic Ocean, according to information provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to the Texas Department of State Health Services.
The passengers left the ship and returned to the United States before the outbreak was identified.
Texas public health workers reached out to these two individuals. They report that they have no symptoms and that they did not have contact with anyone who was ill while aboard the vessel. They agreed to monitor their health for potential symptoms through daily temperature checks and to contact health authorities should any signs of illness appear.
Hantaviruses are typically transmitted through contact with the droppings or urine of wild rodents. The Hondius outbreak strain, Andes virus, can be transmitted from person to person under limited circumstances. Generally, it requires close and prolonged contact with someone who is actively ill. It is not known to spread through casual contact, such as a handshake or being in the same room for a few minutes. No cases have been documented in which an asymptomatic person transmitted it to another.
The DSHS has stated that it will not disclose further personal information about the passengers to protect their privacy.
