Yosemite hantavirus warnings here and abroad
The hantavirus situation linked to camping at Yosemite National Park has resulted in six individuals infected, two of them fatalities, and has prompted park officials to send letters and emails to about 3,100 people who reserved one of the 91 “signature tent cabins” in the park’s popular Curry Village from June 10 to Aug. 24.
Earlier in the week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that approximately 10,000 people stayed in the tents during that time and may be at risk for the virus in the next six weeks.
However, the hantavirus warnings are not exclusive to the United States.
In the United Kingdom, the Health Protection Agency (HPA) said in a statement Monday that approximately 100 UK travellers have been identified as having stayed at Yosemite National Park from mid-June to the end of August.
The statement continues:
A spokesperson for the HPA, said: “Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome is a rare but severe respiratory disease, which is sometimes fatal. It is spread by contact with infected rodents, primarily deer mice. Most people become infected by breathing in small viral particles from rodent urine or droppings that have been stirred up into the air. The virus causing HPS in the USA cannot be passed from person to person. There is no specific treatment for Hantavirus, but early recognition and supportive care can improve the outcome of this severe disease.
“The HPA is liaising with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the European Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (ECDC) in responding to the situation.”