Hantavirus Explodes Across US Northwest: High Levels of Lung-Damaging Sin Nombre Virus Detected

Hantavirus Explodes Across US Northwest: High Levels of Lung-Damaging Sin Nombre Virus Detected

Hantavirus is spreading across parts of the US Northwest, with researchers reporting unusually high levels of the lung-damaging Sin Nombre virus in rodents across Washington and Idaho, according to the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases. The findings published on 24 May in the journal, drawn from fieldwork in the Palouse region, suggest the virus is more entrenched in local wildlife than previously documented, raising concerns about human expo…

WSU study finds high prevalence of hantavirus in some parts of Pacific Northwest

PULLMAN, WA— The Sin Nombre virus — a hantavirus that can cause a deadly respiratory disease in humans — may be more widespread among rodent populations in parts of the Pacific Northwest than previously recognized. A recent study conducted in the Palouse region of Washington and Idaho found that nearly 30% of rodents showed evidence of past infection with the virus. About 10% were actively infected, meaning they were carrying and could potential…