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 8newsnow.com.
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 8newsnow.com, 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.
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