The Minnesota Department of Health is currently monitoring a resident who may have been exposed to hantavirus.
The individual journeyed overseas and might have come into contact with someone who was on board the MV Hondius cruise ship, which traveled from Argentina to Europe. This cruise is linked to an outbreak of the rodent-borne Andes virus, a type of hantavirus that has infected passengers and resulted in three fatalities.
Health department staff are in regular contact with the exposed individual and are monitoring their health daily for any symptoms.
Hantaviruses are a group of viruses carried by rodents that can be transmitted to humans, often causing serious illness. The Andes virus is the only known type of hantavirus that can spread from person to person. This transmission is generally limited to those who have close contact with an infected person showing symptoms.
Cases of hantavirus illness are rare in Minnesota, with only two instances of hantavirus likely acquired within the state since 1999.
Leah Bauck, an epidemiologist at the health department, told MPR News last week that hantavirus is not a new disease and does not easily spread from person to person.
She said the primary concern for hantavirus in Minnesota arises from deer mice found in wooded or prairie areas. For Minnesotans preparing their cabins this summer, Bauck advised cleaning up mouse droppings by spraying them with disinfectant before wiping them up.
“A big thing is making sure you’re not aerosolizing those droppings; so not vacuuming, not sweeping,” Bauck said.
Health officials said that the public risk remains very low, and the individual exposed to hantavirus is not showing any symptoms.
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