According to a story from ktla.com, a man from Nevada in his twenties has died after being hospitalized. The man was killed by hantavirus and was likely exposed to the pathogen due to contact with rodent droppings, as reported by the Washoe Country Health District. This was the only reported death in the county from this illness in 2020.
About Hantavirus
Orthohantavirus, more frequently shortened to just hantavirus, is a type of virus that is commonly carried by rodents. This virus does not cause disease in the animals. The virus can cause severe and even lethal illness in humans however, and can be transmitted by contact with rodent urine, saliva, or fecal matter. Infection is associated with two distinct disease forms: hantavirus hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) and hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS). The strains of the virus found in the US are implicated in HPS, which causes symptoms such as fatigue, headache, fever, muscle pain, coughing, diarrhea, vomiting, and shortness of breath following a two to four week incubation phase. These symptoms then suddenly worsen, often leading to acute respiratory distress syndrome, pulmonary edema, cardiac failure, and respiratory failure. Mechanical ventilation and admission to intensive care are often critical if the patient is to survive; the lethality rate of hantavirus is around 40 percent. To learn more about hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, click here.
While getting infected with the hantavirus is quite rare, with less than 1,000 cases reported in the US each year, the death of the young man is nevertheless a reminder to remain cautious. Kevin Dick, the District Health Officer, had this to say:
“While rare, this disease is very serious and a reminder for other residents to be very careful in areas where rodents, especially deer mice, are active. Our thoughts go out to the family of this resident.”
Prevention often means simply taking precautions in areas where rodents, such as rats and mice, may be present alongside their excrement. Such places may include food storage areas, garages, cabins, sheds, and barns. In addition, it is recommended to address any residential infestations as quickly as possible to avoid contact with the hantavirus.
