Two Maryland residents are being monitored for potential hantavirus exposure after sharing a flight with a passenger infected with the virus, according to the Maryland Department of Health.
The individuals were not aboard the MV Hondius cruise ship but were on an international flight with a passenger who was. Health officials are taking these steps out of an abundance of caution, emphasizing the risk to the public remains "very low."
The two residents are being monitored during the virus’s incubation period, which can range from 4 to 42 days. Asymptomatic individuals are not considered infectious.
No hantavirus cases have been reported in Maryland since 2019, and Andes virus infections have never been identified in the state.
Hantavirus is typically spread through contact with infected rodents, but the strain tied to the cruise ship-Andes virus-is capable of person-to-person transmission. Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) has a nearly 40% fatality rate.