BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — After a Santa Clara resident returned home from the Hantavirus cruise ship, where at least three passengers reportedly died after exposure to a strain known as the Andes virus.
The California Department of Public Health addressed those concerns during a press conference Monday, emphasizing that while Hantavirus infections can be severe, they remain extremely rare.
“Even the Andes virus and Hantavirus have been around for many years,” said Kimberly Hernandez, lead epidemiologist and division director with Kern Public Health. “It’s not considered a common infection, but it is something health officials closely watch. Anytime you have groups of people in small, enclosed settings, there’s always a risk of disease transmission.”
Hantavirus is a disease typically spread through contact with infected rodent droppings, urine or saliva.
In California, deer mice are considered one of the primary carriers.
“Hantavirus is an infection typically spread through contact with rodent droppings, urine, or saliva,” Hernandez said.
Though uncommon, the virus can develop into a dangerous respiratory illness known as Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome, which can become life-threatening within days.
According to the California Department of Public Health, there have been 93 diagnoses of Hanta virus since 1980, including 79 cases reported.
In Kern County, health officials say only one to five cases have been documented during that same period.
Dr. Royce Johnson, chief of infectious disease, said he has only treated one patient with Hanta virus during his medical career a case he still remembers decades later.
“I’ve only had one, and that person died in our intensive care unit,” Johnson said. “This was about 25 years ago. That person had been sweeping out a shed where there were mouse droppings.”
Health experts say early symptoms can resemble COVID-19 or the flu, including fever, fatigue, muscle aches, headaches, chills and gastrointestinal problems such as vomiting or diarrhea.
Symptoms may appear one to eight weeks after exposure and can rapidly worsen, leading to severe breathing difficulties caused by fluid buildup in the lungs.
Officials say most infections occur when people clean enclosed or poorly ventilated spaces where rodents have been living.
Disturbing contaminated droppings can release microscopic virus particles into the air, where they can be inhaled.
“The majority of Hantavirus cases in California happen when people clean out storage sheds, garages, or other enclosed spaces that have been left unattended for long periods of time and where rodents especially mice have been present,” Hernandez said.
Health officials recommend airing out enclosed spaces for at least 30 minutes before cleaning areas where rodents may have been.
They also advise people to stay informed about potential health risks before traveling this summer.
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