Latest news with #HFRS
Newsweek
09-07-2025
- Health
- Newsweek
Deadly Disease Detected at Grand Canyon
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A park employee at Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona was confirmed to have been exposed to hantavirus, which is rare but often fatal, Coconino County health officials confirmed after the July 4 holiday weekend, according to local news outlet Officials also confirmed a separate case of rabies exposure at the park. Newsweek has contacted the National Park Service, Coconino County Health and Human Services and the Arizona Department of Health Services outside of regular working hours via email for comment. Left, a generic image shows a deer mouse, and, right, a view of the Grand Canyon. Left, a generic image shows a deer mouse, and, right, a view of the Grand Canyon. Karel Bock left) and Richey Miller right)/Getty Images (left and Cal Sport Media via AP (right Why It Matters Hantavirus is primarily spread by deer mice, which are prevalent in the Grand Canyon area. The virus can cause a host of serious, even fatal, illnesses such as hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) and hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS), according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The CDC said that HPS has a 38 percent fatality rate, while fatality rates for HFRS depend on the virus strain. New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado and California record the highest number of hantavirus infections nationally, although the virus remains rare. This is not the first time the virus has been traced to a National Park—for example, there were also cases of HPS in visitors to Yosemite National Park in 2012. What To Know The virus is typically transmitted from rodent to human, and not human-to-human, usually following exposure to rat or mice urine, droppings or saliva. It can also spread via a bite or scratch, but this is unlikely. Those who handle and clean up after rodents, such National Park employees, are at higher risk of hantavirus exposure and should take precautions, the CDC advises. Authorities did not state how the Grand Canyon employee was thought to have been exposed to the virus. Grand Canyon spokesperson Joelle Baird told the San Francisco news outlet SFGATE that park service is going to "incredible lengths for cleanup" to control the spread of the virus. The spokesperson informed the outlet that on June 20, the employee began to experience symptoms of HPS and went to Flagstaff Medical Center, where they received treatment. They have since been released from the hospital and continue to recover but the spokesperson was uncertain of when the employee would return to work, SFGATE reported. Five cases of hantavirus have been reported in Arizona so far this year, according to local news outlet citing state officials. Hantavirus hit the headlines earlier this year when an autopsy confirmed that the late actor Gene Hackman's wife, Betsy Arakawa, died from HPS in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The Grand Canyon National Park has also confirmed a rabies case, which it linked to a bat collected near Kanab Creek Canyon, according to the local news outlet Austin American Stateman. Health officials reported the bat tested positive for rabies. Two people who had physical contact with the animal received medical evaluation and treatment, according to a statement from the Grand Canyon National Park. What People Are Saying The CDC says on its website: "People should avoid contact with rodent urine, droppings, saliva, and nesting materials. If mice or rats are in or around your home, it's important to clean up after them safely. Rodent control is the primary strategy for preventing hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS), a disease caused by infection with certain hantaviruses. Wild rodents near human populations should be controlled and excluded from homes." The Nevada Office of State Epidemiology says on its website: "In the U.S., deer mice, cotton rats, rice rats, and the white-footed mouse can carry the hantavirus disease. These rodents spread the virus in their urine, droppings, and saliva. People mainly get the virus from breathing in contaminated air such as when cleaning sheds, barns, or garages where infected rodents are found." What Happens Next Public health authorities in Arizona are actively monitoring rodent populations and potential hantavirus cases, and the Grand Canyon National Park continues to adhere to a number of protocols regarding hantavirus safety.
South China Morning Post
28-06-2025
- Health
- South China Morning Post
Indonesia's hantavirus cases spark calls to eradicate rat infestations
A string of hantavirus-linked cases reported in Indonesia has sparked fears that the potentially lethal virus could be spreading undetected, with health experts citing widespread rodent exposure and poor sanitation as major risks that could lead to a further spike. Advertisement Eight cases of haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS), one of the diseases caused by the hantavirus, have been confirmed across four provinces – Yogyakarta, West Java, East Nusa Tenggara and North Sulawesi – as of June 19, according to a statement released by the health ministry on Saturday. All patients infected with HFRS have since recovered. While there is no need for public alarm at this stage, health experts recommend strengthening disease surveillance and ramping up public education efforts, noting that the virus could be silently spreading in high-risk areas. What is hantavirus? According to the Indonesian health ministry, hantavirus-linked diseases are transmitted by animals. 'This disease is transmitted through direct contact with rodents, and based on existing research, there has been no human-to-human transmission.' HFRS, the disease detected in Indonesia, primarily affects the kidneys and has been reported elsewhere in Asia and Europe. Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS), the other common disease caused by the virus, affects the lungs and is more prevalent in the Americas. HPS recently hit the headlines when it was reported that Betsy Arakawa, the wife of the late Hollywood actor Gene Hackman, had succumbed to the disease after she was found dead alongside her husband at the American couple's home in New Mexico in February this year. The hantavirus pulmonary syndrome was in the news recently following the death of Hollywood actor Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa in Februay. Photo: Shutterstock It was believed that the couple's home had been infested with rats and rat droppings after police found rodent nests on the property.
South China Morning Post
28-06-2025
- Health
- South China Morning Post
Indonesia's hantavirus outbreak sparks calls to eradicate rat infestations
A string of hantavirus-linked cases reported in Indonesia has sparked fears that the potentially lethal virus could be spreading undetected, with health experts citing widespread rodent exposure and poor sanitation as major risks that could lead to a further spike. Advertisement Eight cases of haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS), one of the diseases caused by the hantavirus, have been confirmed across four provinces – Yogyakarta, West Java, East Nusa Tenggara and North Sulawesi – as of June 19, according to a statement released by the health ministry on Saturday. All patients infected with HFRS have since recovered. While there is no need for public alarm at this stage, health experts recommend strengthening disease surveillance and ramping up public education efforts, noting that the virus could be silently spreading in high-risk areas. What is hantavirus? According to the Indonesian health ministry, hantavirus-linked diseases are transmitted by animals. 'This disease is transmitted through direct contact with rodents, and based on existing research, there has been no human-to-human transmission.' HFRS, the disease detected in Indonesia, primarily affects the kidneys and has been reported elsewhere in Asia and Europe. Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS), the other common disease caused by the virus, affects the lungs and is more prevalent in the Americas. HPS recently hit the headlines when it was reported that Betsy Arakawa, the wife of the late Hollywood actor Gene Hackman, had succumbed to the disease after she was found dead alongside her husband at the American couple's home in New Mexico in February this year. The hantavirus pulmonary syndrome was in the news recently following the death of Hollywood actor Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa in Februay. Photo: Shutterstock It was believed that the couple's home had been infested with rats and rat droppings after police found rodent nests on the property.
Yahoo
21-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Hantavirus: the rare pathogen linked to rodents that attacks the lungs
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. The recent deaths of actor Gene Hackman and his wife, as well as three California residents, have brought attention to a rare rodent-borne virus that has the potential to turn deadly. While the risk of contracting the hantavirus remains relatively low compared to other sicknesses, it's still important to be aware of how the illness spreads and what steps you can take to protect yourself. Hantaviruses are a family of viruses that have the potential to cause serious illness and death in humans, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. They are typically spread from contact with rodent urine, droppings and saliva. In rare cases, the virus can be contracted from a bite or scratch. The CDC started tracing cases of hantavirus-related disease after a 1993 outbreak in the Four Corners region, where Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah meet. Hantaviruses can cause two distinct syndromes. In the Western Hemisphere, hantaviruses can cause a severe and potentially fatal lung infection known as hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS); the virus that causes HPS is typically "spread by the deer mouse," which is common in many parts of California, the CDC said. Hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) is another "group of clinically similar illnesses caused by hantaviruses found mostly in Europe and Asia"; Seoul virus, the type of hantavirus that causes HFRS, can be found worldwide, including in the United States. HPS "starts like the flu: body aches, feeling poorly overall," Sonja Bartolome of UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas said to The Associated Press. In the early stages of the illness, "you really may not be able to tell the difference between hantavirus and having the flu." The infection began getting widespread attention after it was linked to the death of Betsy Arakawa, a pianist and the wife of actor Gene Hackman, in February. Both Arakawa and Hackman's remains were found at their home earlier that month. Hackman likely died of a "combination of high blood pressure and extensive heart disease days after the death of his wife," said The Washington Post. Recently, HPS was also linked to three more deaths in a rural California town, weeks after they all contracted hantavirus. The deceased were all residents of Mammoth Lakes, a popular ski town in the Sierra Nevada range, Mono County public health officials said in a statement. Recording three cases of the virus this early in the year is "strikingly unusual," as the infection is typically detected later in the spring or summer. Officials believe that "deer mouse numbers are high this year in Mammoth (and probably elsewhere in the Eastern Sierra)," said Tom Boo, Mono County's public health officer. An increase in indoor mice "elevates the risk of hantavirus exposure." While hantavirus can be potentially deadly, it is essential to keep the risk of contracting the virus in perspective, family medicine physician David Cutler said to Healthline. In the U.S., where there is "generally good hygiene" and there are not "a lot of people living in rural areas where rodent droppings are common," hantavirus will be "very rare, but not impossible to contract." There have been "fewer than 1,000 cases of hantavirus reported in the United States over the last 30 years," he added. By contrast, "over 100,000 people die each year of viral infections that we can prevent, like Covid, flu and RSV." Hantavirus is "rare but not unusual," said the Post. Deer mice, the sole source of the virus in the area, are widespread in the Eastern Sierra region, according to county health officials. Since 1993, Mono County has recorded 27 cases of hantavirus, more than any other county in California, the public health officials' statement said. The majority of hantavirus cases in the U.S. occur west of the Mississippi River, according to the American Lung Association. If you live in an area where you might come in contact with infected rodent infestations, the "most important public health message is not to aerosolize dropping," Forbes said. When cleaning, "spray the site and debris thoroughly with a solution of 1 part bleach to 9 parts water." Wait five minutes, then pick up what is left with a paper towel. Do not "vacuum or sweep up droppings!"
Yahoo
16-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
What is hantavirus? The rare but deadly respiratory illness spread by rodents
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Disease name: Hantavirus disease Affected populations: Hantavirus disease is a rare but potentially deadly respiratory illness that is caused by a family of viruses known as hantaviruses. These viruses, which are found worldwide, are typically carried and spread by rodents, such as rats and mice. Between 1993 and 2022, 864 cases of hantavirus disease were reported in the United States. New Mexico reported the highest number of cases, at 122, followed by Colorado (119) and Arizona (86). Given that rodents spread hantaviruses, people who are more likely to encounter these animals have a greater chance of developing hantavirus disease. This includes forestry workers, farmers and trappers, for example. Related: Arizona woman dies from rare rodent-borne virus Causes: Humans can develop hantavirus disease after being exposed to the urine, droppings or saliva of infected rodents. This can happen if a person rubs their eyes after touching infected urine. A person may also breathe in hantaviruses that have become airborne because someone disrupted debris containing infected animal droppings; this might happen if a person cleans a barn or a cabin, for instance. On rare occasions, people may develop hantavirus disease after being bitten by an infected rodent, Once inside the body, hantaviruses can cause two types of serious infections: hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) and hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS). Hantaviruses in Europe, Asia and Africa are more likely to cause the latter disease, while those in the Americas often trigger severe respiratory disease instead. Hantaviruses cannot be spread from person to person; they can only be contracted from infected animals or their bodily fluids and excretions. Symptoms: Symptoms of HFRS usually start to develop within two to four weeks after a person contracts a hantavirus, and they include fever, headache, gastrointestinal issues, kidney dysfunction and, in more serious cases, internal bleeding. The severity of HFRS depends on which hantavirus has caused the infection, with case fatality rates ranging considerably, between 1% and 15%. Meanwhile, symptoms of HPS can take up to eight weeks to emerge. Common early symptoms are fever, chills and fatigue, which can later progress to more deadly organ dysfunction and respiratory issues. Approximately 38% of patients who develop respiratory symptoms of HPS die from the disease. Treatments: There is no cure for hantavirus disease, so treatment usually focuses on managing a patient's symptoms. For instance, doctors may provide a patient breathing support if they have respiratory issues, or dialysis if their kidneys are too damaged to properly filter blood. OTHER RARE DISEASES —This rare bacterial infection triggers pus-filled sores in the lungs and brain —'Fish odor syndrome': A rare metabolic condition that makes sweat smell like rotten fish —What is babesiosis? The parasitic infection that 'eats' your red blood cells To reduce exposure to hantaviruses in the first place, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that people eliminate or minimize their contact with wild rodents. They can do this by sealing any holes or gaps in their houses or garages to prevent rodents from entering, or by using traps when rodents have already infiltrated, for example. Recent cases: In February 2025, the American classical pianist and businesswoman Betsy Arakawa, who was also the wife of actor Gene Hackman, reportedly died from HPS.
