KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Health agencies across Kansas City, Kansas and Missouri say they are monitoring an outbreak of hantavirus on an Argentina-based passenger cruise ship.
State and Kansas City-area health officials acknowledged conversations about hantavirus and the upcoming World Cup.
The Associated Press reported Thursday that health officials across four continents are conducting contract tracing of passengers who were on board the sailing of a passenger cruise ship from which three people have died and several others have exhibited symptoms of the virus.
Argentina’s Health Ministry told the AP that a team of investigators is poised to visit a southern Argentina town where they suspect a Dutch couple contracted the virus.
LEARN MORE | What to know about hantavirus, the illness linked to a cruise ship outbreak
A Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services spokesperson said no cases have been reported in the United States and Missouri associated with the cruise ship outbreak.
“While there is heightened public interest due to international travel and large events, we are not currently monitoring any Missouri residents or passengers for hantavirus symptoms, nor have we received any reports of symptoms among individuals returning from travel,” the spokesperson said in a statement Thursday to KSHB 41 News.
What is hantavirus?
The Kansas City, Missouri, Health Department released a statement late Thursday that they are monitoring the situation in conjunction with MoDHSS, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and international partners.
Transmission of hantavirus most commonly occurs from inhalation or ingestion of dust or droppings, urine or saliva of rodents like the deer mouse.
The strain of hantavirus that infected passengers onboard the cruise ship — known as the Andes strain — is transmitted from person to person, both the CDC and the World Health Organization report that the risk of widespread transmission is low.
Person-to-person transmission of the virus usually happens after prolonged intimate contact with an infected person, such as a household member or partner.
LINK | CDC website about hantavirus
LINK | CDC website about Andes virus
“At this time, the risk to the American public is extremely low,” the CDC said in a May 6 statement.
Dr. Marvia Jones, Kansas City, Missouri, Health director, says residents should rely on factual sources of information to stay abreast of the situation and be aware of less reliable sources, especially those on social media.
“The Health Department will keep residents notified of the situation as details become available,” Jones said.
Monitoring for disease threats during the World Cup in Kansas City
The Kansas City area is set to host four international clubs — Argentina, England, the Netherlands and Algeria — as home base as the teams train for matches across the country.
The city will host six World Cup matches from early June to early July, with the first match featuring defending World Cup champion Argentina taking on Algeria at 8 p.m. on June 16.
A spokesperson for the Johnson County, Kansas, Department of Health and Environment says they are in coordination with other agencies across the metro and health officials in Kansas and Missouri.
“At this time, the risk to the general public remains extremely low, including in relation to travel associated with the upcoming World Cup,” the spokesperson said.
The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services spokesperson said they are also in coordination with local, state and federal agencies, as well as healthcare partners, “to enhance surveillance and response activities as a follow-up to the cruise ship outbreak and during the World Cup.”
The spokesperson said disease surveillance includes case-based reporting through Missouri’s Reportable Conditions Rule, syndromic surveillance, hospitalization surveillance and wastewater surveillance.
“Surveillance and response activities during large events like this are important to ensure prompt detection and response to any emerging disease threats,” the spokesperson said, adding that the surveillance resources “provide valuable insights for both clinical and public health intervention.”
Officials at the World Health Organization hosted a briefing on the hantavirus on Thursday.
“This is not the next COVID, but it is a serious infectious disease,” said Maria Van Kerkhove, director of epidemic and pandemic preparedness at the World Health Organization. “Most people will never be exposed to this.”
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