HANTAVIRUS UPDATE 2010 - AMERICAS (10): USA (COLORADO)

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Date: Tue 2 Mar 2010
Source: The Denver Post [edited]



Colorado health officials say Weld County recorded its 2nd-ever death
caused by the [a] hantavirus carried by deer mice [_Peromyscus maniculatus_].

The death happened last month [February 2010], but officials said
Tuesday [2 Mar 2010] that the Colorado Department of Public Health
and Environment did blood tests and confirmed this week that the
person had contracted the virus. The person's name was not released.

It is the 5th case ever documented in the county.

The disease is most prominent in rural areas and people contract the
virus when they breathe in contaminated dust particles containing the
feces or urine of deer mice, also known as rural mice.

Symptoms start within 2-3 weeks after exposure and include vomiting,
high fever, and flu-like body aches.

--
Communicated by:
HealthMap Alerts via ProMED-mail


[This report mentions "the hantavirus" as though there was just one
species, whereas there are several in North America that can cause
fatal infections from hantavirus pulmonary syndrome. The Weld County,
Colorado case reported above does not indicate the hantavirus
involved, but Sin Nombre virus is the most likely pathogen.

A photograph of a deer mouse (_Peromyscus maniculatus_), the main
reservoir rodent host of Sin Nombre virus, is available at
.


Maps showing the location of the states in the western USA including
Colorado, can be accessed at

and the HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map at
.
For a map of counties showing the location of Weld County in
north-central Colorado see
.
- Mod.TY]

[see also:
Hantavirus update 2010 - Americas (03): USA (CO) 20100129.0316
2009
---
Hantavirus update 2009 - Americas (12): USA, pediatric 20091223.4323
Hantavirus update 2009 - Americas (11): USA (CA) 20091214.4245
Hantavirus update 2009 - Americas (10): USA (NM) 20090918.3281
Hantavirus update 2009 - Americas (08): USA (NM, AZ) 20090708.2452
Hantavirus update 2009 - Americas (06): USA (NM) 20090511.1753
2008
----
Hantavirus update 2008 - Americas (22): USA (NM), Chile ex Arg.: susp
20081206.3836
Hantavirus update 2008 - Americas (09): USA (CO) 20080609.1828
Hantavirus update 2008 - Americas (07): USA (CO) 20080512.1613
Hantavirus update 2008 - Americas (05): USA (CO) 20080310.0970
Hantavirus update 2008 - Americas (04): USA (NM) 20080308.0957]
...................................ty/mj/mpp

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