CONCORD, N.H. — Two New Hampshire residents have been confirmed as passengers on a cruise ship hit by a deadly hantavirus outbreak, state public health officials said Monday.
Passengers from the cruise ship were being flown home Monday to more than 20 countries and quarantined, including a French woman and an American who tested positive, the Associated Press reported.
New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services officials issued the following statement on Monday afternoon:
“DHHS is aware of two individuals with New Hampshire addresses who traveled on the MV Hondius cruise ship and have returned to the United States,” officials said.
“The two individuals are not in New Hampshire at this time, and we are actively communicating with our federal partners to assess whether they will be returning to the state in order to coordinate appropriate monitoring to ensure their health and that of the public,” officials said.
“There is no current health risk to residents, and we will provide additional information as it becomes available,” officials said.
Hantaviruses are usually spread through contact with wild rodent droppings, urine, and saliva, public health officials said.
Hantaviruses are found in the Americas, including in the United States, although primarily in the western U.S.
On average, the U.S. identifies 30 people with hantavirus every year. The last case of hantavirus identified in a New Hampshire resident was in 2019 and was thought to be acquired through travel.
The specific hantavirus that caused the cruise ship outbreak is called the Andes virus, which can spread from person to person through close, prolonged contact with a sick person. A person is not considered infectious or able to spread the virus to others until they begin to develop symptoms.
Symptoms of Andes virus infection usually begin within 4 to 42 days after exposure.
Early symptoms can include fever, fatigue, muscle aches, headache, and gastrointestinal symptoms like nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.
Several days after the onset of initial symptoms, people can develop a severe illness that affects the lungs (called hantavirus pulmonary syndrome), causing cough, chest tightness, and difficulty breathing, which can be fatal.
There is no specific treatment available, and care focuses on supporting the person through their illness, public health officials said.
Anyone with questions about this situation can contact the state DPH at 603-271-4496.
For more information on hantavirus, visit the CDC website.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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