Health Officials Issue Warning After Eagle County Man Dies From Hantavirus

Another virus to be aware of.

Hantavirus

There is no cure. People can be infected by inhaling the virus or by handling infected rodents. Infected people usually have flu-like symptoms including fever, shortness of breath, chills and muscle and body aches.

EAGLE COUNTY, Colo. (CBS4) – A man in Eagle County has died from hantavirus, a disease that kills nearly half of the people who get infected.

“We have not had a case since 2005, so it is a little rare for us to see that in Eagle County,” said Jennifer Ludwig, Eagle County Public Health Director.

Just two weeks ago the man, who recently moved to Eagle County, was infected and died at a local hospital. Now county officials are urging people to be aware.

“Hantavirus is a very serious illness and about 40 percent of the cases are fatal,” Ludwig said.

In Colorado nearly all cases come from contact with the deer mouse’s excrement.

“The most important thing to not do is sweep or vacuum, because that causes the material to aerosolize,” Ludwig said.

Most commonly near wood piles, or cleaning outhouses or sheds that were locked up for the winter.

Large muscle aches can be one sign of the virus.

“Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea are other signs and symptoms.”

Health officials say it can take six weeks to see symptoms.

“We don’t believe that anybody else was exposed or at risk,” Ludwig said. “This unfortunate event is an opportunity to let people know hantavirus, while rare, is still a threat in the community, as it is everywhere in Colorado.”

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Most of us don't let rats and mice live in our homes. Most people if they did discover mice or rats would clean up waste materials with a disinfectant. Hanta virus is common, has been around a long long time. But since you have to handle their feces or urine to get it most people are safe. Household bleach works like a charm.
Was this supposed to raise yet another alarm to worry people ?


reply to: MrLimpet

This has been around a long time , Arizona, West Texas, New Mexico, Colorado, parts of Utah etc......

Everyone here is aware of it......usually comes and goes in spats.......

Every year there are a few people that get it.........

Dont hit the panic button yet

a reply to: AutumnWitch657

Not to alarm people at all.

Just simply making people aware of the fact that someone has died from the virus and in what area.

Some people may not have known not to sweep or vacuum, because that causes the material to aerosolize.

As Ludwig stated:

“We don’t believe that anybody else was exposed or at risk. “This unfortunate event is an opportunity to let people know hantavirus, while rare, is still a threat in the community, as it is everywhere in Colorado.”

Is there something wrong with trying to make people aware?

If all this thread does is inform one person to take precautions and prevent them from possibly contracting this virus, it was well worth my time to post it.

'An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure'

a reply to: ManBehindTheMask

Thanks ManBTM!

I remember it being an issue at YNP a couple years ago.

No reason for panic ~ Hopefully people in the area will take the necessary precautions so others don't fall ill from it.

The danger isn't so much from people having it in the house as it is when they are cleaning up around outbuildings. Or I seem to remember that they were having a problem with it at one of the national parks a year or three ago and closed some camp grounds.

a reply to: ketsuko

It was Yosemite in 2012.

The National Park Service (NPS) has announced that there are now 10 confirmed cases (including 3 deaths) of hantavirus infection in visitors to Yosemite National Park since June of this year. Nine of the ten individuals with hantavirus infection stayed in Yosemite's Signature Tent Cabins in Curry Village. The tenth person hiked and camped in Tuolumne Meadows and the High Sierra Camps, located about 15 miles from Curry Village.

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