Hantavirus returns to New Mexico

The first fatal case of Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS) in New Mexico has been confirmed. The New Mexico Department of Health announced that a 20-year-old woman from Rio Arriba County died due to complications of hantavirus.

?We extend our sympathy to this woman?s family and friends,? said Department of Health Cabinet Secretary, Dr. Catherine Torres. ?I am asking all New Mexicans to follow our prevention guidelines to keep themselves and their families safe, as HPS can be a serious and sometimes fatal disease.?

People become infected with hantavirus when they breath in virus particles that are transmitted through rodents through droppings, urine or saliva. The deer mouse is the main carrier of the disease in New Mexico. It is very important to take precautions against hantavirus.

Some precautions are, but not limited to, airing out closed-up buildings, sealing possible rodent entries, setting up mouse traps, always clean mouse droppings with disinfectant, keeping hay, wood and compost piles as far away from the house as possible and to get rid of trash and junk piles often.

?People need to be very careful when they are involved in activities which may put them in contact with rodents or their droppings,? said Dr. Paul Ettestad, the Department of Health's public health veterinarian. ?It is important to remember that the best defense against hantavirus is to avoid disturbing areas of rodent infestation, including nests and droppings, and to air out cabins and sheds before entering them.?

Early symptoms of hantavirus include fever and muscle aches, possibly with chills, headache, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain and cough. There is no specific treatment for hantavirus, but the sooner the virus is detected, the chances for recovery are higher.

Last year New Mexico had five cases of hantavirus, three of which were fatal. Since hantavirus was discovered in 1993, New Mexico has had a total of 91 cases, the highest in the nation.

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