A lethal rodent-borne virus with no known cure has spread to humans, resulting in multiple fatalities across the United States and prompting a health alert.
The Arizona Department of Health Services reports a rise in hantavirus cases, which are transmitted from rodents to people through contact with infected urine, saliva, or feces. Seven instances of Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS) have been confirmed in Arizona, three of which have been fatal.
HPS is a serious and sometimes deadly respiratory illness caused by hantavirus infection, according to the department’s advisory. In addition to Arizona, two cases and one death have been reported in California.
Initial symptoms of hantavirus include fever, headache, and muscle aches, which can rapidly progress to severe breathing difficulties. The virus is primarily associated with deer mice in Arizona but is not limited to a specific area and can be present in any southwestern U.S. region with rodent activity.
Prior to these recent cases, the last hantavirus incident in Coconino County was recorded in 2016. The syndrome was first identified in 1993 during an outbreak among the Navajo population near the Arizona-New Mexico border, which had a devastating mortality rate of approximately 80%.
