Test tubes marked “Hantavirus positive” in this graphic depicted May 7, 2026. Dado Ruvic/Reuters
Authorities in Colorado are probing the passing of an adult resident attributed to hantavirus.
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, jointly with the Douglas County Health Department, clarified that the fatality is unrelated to the outbreak aboard the MV Hondius cruise vessel, which resulted in 11 verified and suspected instances, including two confirmed fatalities and a single presumed death.
The affected individual resided in Douglas County — situated just to Denver’s south — but details regarding the patient’s identity, age, and gender were not immediately released.
Health authorities reported that the person was infected by the Sin Nombre hantavirus, recognized as the primary cause of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) in North America.
Symptoms of HPS generally manifest between one and eight weeks following exposure to the virus, with initial indicators encompassing fever, tiredness, and muscular discomfort, as per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Around half of HPS sufferers will undergo headaches, shivers, unsteadiness, sickness, regurgitation, looseness of the bowels, and stomach discomfort.
Test tubes labelled “Hantavirus positive” in this illustration taken May 7, 2026.Dado Ruvic/Reuters
The CDC noted that from four to 10 days following the beginning of the ailment, symptoms such as coughing, breathlessness, and a constricted sensation in the chest can surface, further noting the potential for fluid accumulation in a patient’s lungs.
"Hantavirus contagions stemming from the Sin Nombre hantavirus are regularly observed in Colorado, typically during the spring and summer months, and may lead to a serious, sometimes life-threatening, respiratory ailment," according to the opinion of public health officials. "Within Colorado, the deer mouse represents the rodent category most frequently responsible for exposing humans to the virus. The most effective means of warding off infection is to abstain from exposure to rodents, as well as their urine, excrement, spit, and nesting materials."
As stated by the CDC, Colorado recorded six Hantavirus instances between 2020 and 2023.
Sourse: abcnews.go.com