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May 22, 2024

Man hospitalized for hantavirus in Washoe County, Nevada

A Washoe County resident has been hospitalized in the area’s first reported hantavirus case of 2023. The man in his 60s was exposed "weeks prior" to rodent droppings, the Washoe County Health District

A Washoe County resident has been hospitalized in the area’s first reported hantavirus case of 2023.

The man in his 60s was exposed "weeks prior" to rodent droppings, the Washoe County Health District reported Monday.

There is no update on the person’s condition, and the investigation is ongoing.

This is the first hantavirus case reported in Washoe County since November 2022. It appears to be the fifth case since 2019 based on previous media reports.

The last hantavirus death in Washoe County involved a man in his 20s exposed to rodent droppings in the county's southern end. He died in December 2020.

A South Reno resident also died from hantavirus in 2017. It was the first such death since 1995.

Hantavirus is a rare respiratory disease that can cause serious illness and death. The Health District has said hantavirus is fatal 38 percent of the time.

It spreads by breathing in or touching viral particles of infected rodents, most commonly deer mice.

The biggest risk of contracting the disease occurs when people are active in areas where mouse droppings, urine or saliva may have collected such as when cleaning up droppings or nesting material.

Early Hantavirus symptoms can include fever, headache, abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, muscle aches, chills and dizziness one to eight weeks after exposure. Late symptoms develop four to 10 days after initial symptoms and include coughing, shortness of breath and fluid buildup in the lungs.

The Health District says there is no specific treatment for hantavirus; however, anyone with these symptoms after contact with deer mice or their waste should seek medical attention immediately.

If infected individuals are recognized early and receive medical care, health outcomes may improve.

The main thing is to take precautions when cleaning in places where rodents have been.

The Health District offers these suggestions:

Mark Robison covers local government for the Reno Gazette-Journal. Email comments to [email protected] or comment on Mark’s Greater Reno Facebook page.