Hantavirus Andes strain monitored in Georgia after cruise ship outbreak

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - Medical professionals are closely monitoring the Andes strain of hantavirus after two people from Georgia were on a cruise ship where an outbreak started, with one confirmed to be in Brunswick.

Dr. Timothy Connelly at Memorial Health said they’re closely monitoring the Andes strain, which has a 30% mortality rate and can be transmitted from person to person.

READ MORE: Coastal Georgia woman was on cruise ship hit by hantavirus

Virus differs from typical hantavirus

People typically associate hantavirus with ingesting rodent feces. Matt Rippetoe, owner and district commercial operator at Truly Nolan Pest Control, said deer mice are the number one culprit for carrying this.

“The white-footed mouse is a close cousin to that known. We don’t really have a lot of either of those in coastal Georgia,” Rippetoe said.

The new strain can be transmitted from person to person.

“This Andes strain, when you look at the data in Argentina and Chile, there has been about a 30% mortality rate in last year,” Connelly said.

Georgia residents exposed on cruise ship

Two people from Georgia were on the MV Hondius where the outbreak started. One is confirmed to be in Brunswick.

Connelly, an internal medicine physician at Memorial Health, said the quarantine period can last for over a month.

“Because it’s got such a high case fatality rate, you take it very seriously. Even if somebody may have it, they should be tested frequently,” Connelly said.

Symptoms and transmission

The symptoms typically start out flu-like but can progress and be deadly.

“People can get very sick. And usually the thing that causes death is they tend to basically drown within bleeding in their lungs,” Connelly said.

Connelly said the virus is not believed to be easily transferable and would most likely transfer from long exposure or fluid exchange.

“It’s not something that you’re going to walk by somebody that has it and get it,” Connelly said.

Connelly said if the exposed woman from Brunswick does become sick, she would more than likely be treated at Memorial Health in Savannah. Their facility is equipped for infectious diseases to prevent others from getting sick.