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Hantavirus
Short URL: kingcounty.gov/hantavirus
Hantavirus is a virus that is carried by some rodents. In Washington State, deer mice are the only rodents known to carry hantavirus. Hantavirus can cause a rare but deadly disease called hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS). You can get HPS by breathing in hantavirus. When fresh rodent urine, droppings, or nesting materials are stirred up, tiny droplets containing the virus get into the air. This process is known as "airborne transmission".
You can also get infected by touching mouse urine, droppings, or nesting materials that contain the virus, and then touching your eyes, nose, or mouth. It’s also possible to get HPS from a mouse bite. The disease does not spread person-to-person.
What's the risk of hantavirus in King County?
Public Health Insider blog, May 8, 2026
The outbreak of hantavirus on an international cruise ship has put this rare disease in the headlines. The World Health Organization (WHO) is leading the investigation of that situation involving a specific type of hantavirus that has not been found in the United States. We wanted to learn more about whether hantavirus poses a risk to people in King County, so we checked in with Dr. Jocelyn Mullins, a public health veterinarian and resident expert at Public Health – Seattle & King County on diseases coming from animals.
Download the hantavirus info sheet
Download the hantavirus safety poster
Download the hantavirus auto mechanics poster
Resources for health care providers
Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome is a reportable condition in King County.
Surveillance in King County
The purposes of hantavirus surveillance:
- To facilitate diagnostic testing of suspected cases.
- To identify sources of infection.
- To facilitate environmental cleanup of rodent-infested areas where cases have occurred.
Exposure updates from the Public Health Insider:
- New case of hantavirus reported in King County, 8/28/23
- Hantavirus case reported in King County, 12/30/21
- Rodents, your car, and hantavirus: What to do if you suspect rodents are living in your vehicle, 4/21/17
- A new case of Hantavirus suspected in King County, 4/4/17
- Also available in Spanish, Simplified Chinese, and Traditional Chinese.
- Two cases of Hantavirus reported in King County since December, 2016: be aware of health risks associated with deer mouse infestations, (3/3/17)
Seoul virus is a type of hantavirus that can be spread by wild and pet rats and does not cause hantavirus pulmonary syndrome. Learn more about Seoul virus.