ROCKFORD, IL — Testing showed a Winnebago County resident who was suspected of contracting the hantavirus did not have the disease after all.
The Illinois Department of Public Health reported on May 12 that it was investigating a suspected case of hantavirus in Winnebago County not connected to an outbreak aboard the MV Hondius cruise ship or the Andes strain. Ten people were sickened with the virus aboard the cruise ship and three died, according to the World Health Organization.
The person locally had gotten mild symptoms after cleaning a home where there were rodent droppings present and was suspected of contracting the virus. However, testing by the Centers for Disease Control determined that the person did not have the virus.
“The resident is no longer considered a potential case of hantavirus and no further public health action is needed,” a post read on the Winnebago County Health Department website. “The risk of getting hantavirus remains very low for Illinois residents. The best way to protect yourself from hantavirus and other rodent-borne disease is keeping rodents out of your home and cleaning up after them safely.”
According to the Illinois Department of Public Health, North American strains of the hantavirus are not known to spread from person to person and the most common form is transmitted through rodent droppings.
There have been seven cases of hantavirus in Illinois since 1993.
Jeff Kolkey writes about government, economic development and other issues for the Rockford Register Star. He can be reached via email at jkolkey@rrstar.com and on X @jeffkolkey.
This article originally appeared on Rockford Register Star: Winnebago County resident did not have hantavirus
Reporting by Jeff Kolkey, Rockford Register Star / Rockford Register Star
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