Nearly 2,000 visitors may have been exposed to rare disease, Yosemite officials warn

[tarabull]

August 28, 2012

snipped...On Tuesday, park officials sent letters and emails to 1,700 visitors who stayed in some of the dwellings in June, July and August, warning them that they may have been exposed to the disease that also caused two other people to fall ill.

http://news.nationalpost.com/2012/0...-yosemite-officials-warn-after-camper-deaths/

 

[Saffron]

The illness is spread by contact with rodent feces, urine and saliva, or by inhaling exposed airborne particles.

It's frightening to think humans can contract a deadly virus by simply inhaling air particles of rodent urine or saliva.

 

[Chili Fries]

It's frightening to think humans can contract a deadly virus by simply inhaling air particles of rodent urine or saliva.

Hantavirus scares the hell out of me. I used to live in Colorado and had a job where I spent a lot of time outside taking environmental samples. I used to see a lot of mice out in the fields, around fences, in deserted maintenance buildings next to lakes and places like that, and I always worried about coming in contact with infected mouse urine.

 

[~n/t~]

Hantavirus and West Nile. Both deadly. Sounds like we may have to live in a bubble.

 

[Jan]

Oh no, I know someone who is going to Yosemite in a few days. She doesn't plan to camp there though so I hope she will be safe.

 

[tarabull]

Yosemite Hanta Virus: Nature Strikes Back
Sep 3, 2012 4:45 AM EDT

Up to 10,000 campers at Yosemite National Park may have been exposed to a deadly rodent-borne illness. Kent Sepkowitz on how Hanta is spread—and why a big outbreak is unlikely.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/09/03/yosemite-hanta-virus-nature-strikes-back.html

 

[Saffron]

Death toll rises to three, with eight people infected. I realize this is still a rare disease, but how sad for the loved ones of those who have died, and how unexpected. What a nightmare.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2012/09/yosemite-hantavirus-third-death.html

And this, from the article:

Yosemite officials previously traced the cases to the "signature tent cabins" in the park's popular Curry Village campground, saying a design flaw allowed mice to get inside the walls of the insulated cabins.

How unfortunate to have a design flaw which allowed mice inside the walls of the cabins. I would assume a flaw like that would have been noticed before the design was approved. Too bad.