Hantavirus, the disease that caused the death of Betsy Arakawa, actor Gene Hackman’s wife, has claimed the lives of three people in California.
After Arakawa, 65, was found dead along with Hackman, 95, on Feb. 26, authorities confirmed her cause of death as “hantavirus pulmonary syndrome” (HPS), while Hackman succumbed to atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease along with advanced Alzheimer’s disease.
Now, Mono County Public Health has confirmed a total of three deaths due to hantavirus in Mammoth Lakes, a town in California’s Sierra Nevada mountains.
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Hantaviruses include a group of viruses primarily carried by rodents that can cause severe respiratory or renal diseases in humans, according to Dr. Rhys Parry, a molecular virologist at the University of Queensland in Australia.
Most hantaviruses that are found in North, Central and South America can cause HPS. The disease has a nearly 40% fatality rate in those who are infected.
All three of the recent California cases have been fatal, which Dr. Tom Boo, Mono County’s public health officer described as “tragic and alarming.”
“We don’t have a clear sense of where this young adult may have contracted the virus,” Boo said in a press release.
“An increase in indoor mice elevates the risk of hantavirus exposure.”
One person had “numerous mice” in their home, but no evidence of mice was found in the other two homes, the release stated.
“The occurrence of three cases in a short period has me worried, especially this early in the year,” Boo said.
“We observed some mice in the workplace, which is not unusual for indoor spaces this time of year in Mammoth Lakes,” he went on. “We haven’t identified any other activities in the weeks before illness that would have increased this person’s exposure to mice or their droppings.”
Hantavirus cases are usually seen in the area in late spring and summer, the public health officer stated.
Seeing three cases this early in the year is “strikingly unusual.”
“We believe that deer mouse numbers are high this year in Mammoth (and probably elsewhere in the Eastern Sierra),” Boo wrote. “An increase in indoor mice elevates the risk of Hantavirus exposure. Therefore, it is crucial to take precautions.”
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None of the infected individuals engaged in activities that would have exposed them to the virus, such as cleaning out poorly ventilated indoor areas or outbuildings with a lot of mouse waste, the official went on.
“Instead, these folks may have been exposed during normal daily activities, either in the home or the workplace,” he said.
“Many of us encounter deer mice in our daily lives and there is some risk. We should pay attention to the presence of mice and be careful around their waste.”
How hantavirus spreads
“Hantaviruses typically spread when humans breathe in virus particles from disturbed rodent urine, droppings or nesting materials,” Parry previously told Fox News Digital.
The hantaviruses found in the U.S. are not known to spread between people, according to the CDC.
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Other mechanisms of spread, according to the CDC, include breathing in contaminated air when cleaning up after rodents, touching contaminated objects and then touching the nose or mouth, getting bitten or scratched by an infected rodent, and eating food contaminated with the virus.
Dr. Marc Siegel, clinical professor of medicine at NYU Langone Health and Fox News senior medical analyst, agreed that hantavirus can spread via dust from rodents’ saliva, urine and places they touch.
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The most common type of rodent to carry it in the U.S. is the deer mouse, the doctor confirmed.
Most hantavirus cases are seen in rural areas, where it is more likely for rodents to get into homes or barns, the CDC noted.
Siegel added that it rarely affects humans “because only some of the rodents have it, and they don’t all come into contact — but one-third to one-half of cases are fatal.”
Symptoms and treatment
Early symptoms of hantavirus include fever, muscle aches, fatigue and gastrointestinal issues that appear anywhere from one to eight weeks after exposure, according to Parry.
“These progress to serious respiratory symptoms like coughing, shortness of breath and fluid in the lungs four to 10 days later,” he said.
Sin Nombre virus is the most common hantavirus in the United States, which causes hantavirus pulmonary syndrome with a mortality rate of approximately 38%.
“It typically becomes fatal when the lungs fill with fluid, leading to respiratory failure and insufficient oxygen reaching vital organs,” Parry noted.
There is no specific antiviral treatment for hantavirus, the expert said, although early intensive care with oxygen therapy and supportive measures is crucial.
“Early intensive medical care is critical because patients who have sudden acute disease can rapidly become severely sick and die,” the CDC states.
“If a patient is experiencing full distress, it is less likely the treatment will be effective.”
Supportive care can include monitoring heart function, administering fluids and oxygen, and placing the patient on a ventilator as needed. Patients may also receive broad-spectrum antibiotic therapy, fever reducers and pain relievers.
“Early intensive medical care is critical, because patients who have sudden acute disease can rapidly become severely sick and die.”
“Although there is no cure for hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, it is important to seek medical care when short of breath, because the patient may need support from a mechanical ventilator or extra-corporal membrane oxygenator (ECMO) machine to deliver enough oxygen to their body,” Dr. Sonja Bartolome, an expert in pulmonology and critical care at UT Southwestern Medical Center, previously told Fox News Digital.
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“Even with medical care, 30% to 40% of people who develop hantavirus pulmonary syndrome will not survive.”
Prevention of hantavirus
To prevent the virus from spreading, Mono County Public Health recommended sealing up gaps in the home to prevent mice from entering and storing food in rodent-proof containers.
They also advised against vacuuming or sweeping rodent droppings, nests or urine, as that can stir up the virus into the air.
Any contaminated areas should be sprayed with a disinfectant or a freshly made 10% bleach solution, they recommended, and any enclosed areas should be aired out for at least 30 minutes before activities.
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People should wear gloves and an N-95 mask when cleaning contaminated areas.
“Do not eat food that may have been contaminated by rodents, and always wash your hands thoroughly after any potential exposure,” health officials added.
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