Hantavirus: What to know about rare disease from mice

Three people died in Mammoth Lakes, California, from hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, the disease that suddenly killed actor Gene Hackman’s wife, Betsy Arakawa.

Hantaviruses are a family of pathogens spread by rodents, mostly mice, and excreted from their saliva, urine, and droppings. If left untreated, HPS can progress rapidly and result in low blood pressure, low oxygen levels, and death by organ failure.

“The occurrence of three cases in a short period has me worried, especially this early in the year,” Dr. Tom Boo, Mono County public health officer, said in a press statement confirming the third death last week. 

Boo added that he was “concerned about the increase in activity,” noting that hantavirus infections usually occur in the late spring and early summer.  

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