YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK, Calif. (AP) — Yosemite National Park officials say a man is dead and a woman is recovering after contracting a rare rodent-borne disease in a popular lodging area.
Park officials said Thursday that tests confirmed the man died from hantavirus in late July. Both victims had been staying in tent cabins in the Curry Village Campground, where the virus has been detected in deer mice.
Officials say the man is the first person to die from hantavirus contracted in Yosemite, though there were outbreaks in 2000 and 2010.
The virus takes one to six weeks to incubate. It’s fatal for about 30 percent of people who contract it, most likely by inhaling the virus from mouse urine or droppings.
The Times Record Sustaining Sponsor
We believe a community must be informed to thrive. bowdoin.edu
Comments are not available on this story. Read more about why we allow commenting on some stories and not on others.
We believe it's important to offer commenting on certain stories as a benefit to our readers. At its best, our comments sections can be a productive platform for readers to engage with our journalism, offer thoughts on coverage and issues, and drive conversation in a respectful, solutions-based way. It's a form of open discourse that can be useful to our community, public officials, journalists and others.
We do not enable comments on everything — exceptions include most crime stories, and coverage involving personal tragedy or sensitive issues that invite personal attacks instead of thoughtful discussion.
You can read more here about our commenting policy and terms of use. More information is also found on our FAQs.
Show less