A RARE virus that killed Gene Hackman’s wife is spreading in the United States, warn health experts.
The rodent-borne disease can cause a range of debilitating symptoms including flu-like illness, headaches, and vomiting.
Nevadans have been urged to take steps to prevent exposure to hantavirus following two recently confirmed cases.
That takes the total cases in the U.S. since records began in 1993 to nearly 900.
People get hantavirus from contact with rodents like rats and mice, especially when exposed to their wee, poo, and saliva.
It can also spread through a bite or scratch by a rodent.
On Tuesday, the Nevada Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and the Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW) released a statement on the latest cases.
Urging “caution,” they advised “Nevadans to take steps to prevent exposure to hantavirus following two recently confirmed cases.
“As warmer weather arrives, people will be more active in areas such as sheds, barns, trailers, garages, and cabins where deer mice have nested or left droppings.
“NDOW reminds the public to be cautious in these areas or other structures that may have been closed up during the winter months.”
Melissa Bullock, state medical epidemiologist, added, “We urge people to be aware of any signs of rodent activity and to take precautions to reduce the risk of exposure to hantavirus.
“Anyone who has been in contact with rodents, nests or droppings and subsequently develops symptoms consistent with hantavirus pulmonary syndrome should see a health care provider immediately.”
It is believed that the virus can live up to four days depending on the environment.
There is no specific treatment for hantavirus infection, according to the American Lung Association.
It added, “However, if the virus is caught early and the patient receives medical care in an intensive care unit (ICU), they will likely improve.”
While hantavirus infections are thankfully rare, the tragic death of Betsy Arakawa, the wife of Academy Award winning actor Gene Hackman, has increased concern about the disease.
The concert pianist, 65, was found dead alongside her husband and one of their dogs on February 26.
The bodies of Hackman, 95, and Arakawa were discovered at the couple’s Santa Fe home after maintenance and security workers called the cops.
New Mexico officials later confirmed that Arakawa had died of the rare hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS).
FLUID IN LUNGS
HPS is a severe and potentially deadly disease that affects the lungs.
Dr. Heather Jarrell, New Mexico’s chief medical investigator, said in February following the discovery of Arakawa, that once fluid is inside and around sufferers’ lungs, it’s a life-threatening situation.
She said, “At that point, a person can die very quickly, within 24 to 48 hours, roughly speaking, without medical treatment.”
But – confusingly for victims – HPS is a disease that can start to show at any time from one to eight weeks after contact with an infected rodent.
Experts at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said people suffering HPS will show symptoms including fever, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.
It said, “Hantaviruses found in the Western Hemisphere, including here in the U.S., can cause hantavirus pulmonary syndrome.
“The most common hantavirus that causes HPS in the U.S. is spread by the deer mouse.”
SPREAD BY RODENTS
However, according to Uinta County in Wyoming, there are four rodents in the United States which carry hantavirus, including the deer mouse.
The others include the white-footed mouse, found throughout southern New England and the Mid-Atlantic and southern states, the midwestern and western states, and Mexico.
The cotton rat, found in the southeastern U.S. and down into Central and South America, is another rodent to be wary of.
The rice rat, which is slightly smaller than the cotton rat, lives in marshy areas and is semi-aquatic. It lives throughout the southeastern U.S. and Central America.
The CDC said that HPS can be deadly, as “38% of those who develop respiratory symptoms may die from the disease.”
BLEEDING
Americans should also be aware that Hantaviruses cause two syndromes.
Aside from HPS, there is hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS).
People infected with the latter may have flushing of the face, inflammation or redness of the eyes, or a rash.
They can eventually suffer from internal bleeding and acute kidney failure.
OTHER CASES
As of the end of 2022, 864 cases of hantavirus disease were reported in the United States since official surveillance began in 1993.
These were all laboratory-confirmed cases and included HPS and non-pulmonary hantavirus infection, said the CDC.
Since then, there have been seven confirmed cases of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome in New Mexico in 2024, plus two in Nevada so far this year.
Hantavirus caused three recent deaths in California, reported the Los Angeles Times in April.
Source : https://www.the-sun.com/health/14465953/rare-hantavirus-killed-gene-hackmans-wife-spike-cases-us/
