Potential Hantavirus Exposure Reported in Minnesota
St. Paul, MN (MinnesotNow) - The Minnesota Department of Health today confirmed that a person in Minnesota is being monitored due to potential exposure to hantavirus.
Potential Hantavirus Case in Minnesota
A statement issued by the health agency stresses that the risk to the public remains very low, and the person being monitored currently does not have symptoms. The individual may have been briefly exposed overseas to someone who was on board the MV Hondius cruise ship and has tested positive for the Andes strain of hantavirus.
Risk to Public Very Low
Hantavirus is carried by rodents and can result in an illness with a high fatality rate. The health department says the Andes strain is the only type of hantavirus known to spread from person to person, but human-to-human transmission is usually limited to people who have had close contact with a symptomatic person.
Not Exhibiting Symptoms
According to the news release, the person with the potential exposure has been very cooperative and is being monitored daily for symptoms. Additional information about the individual, including where they live, will not be released to protect their privacy.
More information on hantavirus can be found on the MDH Hantavirus website and CDC’s About Hantavirus website.
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