ARAPAHOE COUNTY, Colo. — An Arapahoe County man is recovering at home after testing positive for a variant of the hantavirus that is endemic to Colorado, county health authorities said Friday.
Arapahoe County Public Health officials said the case is not tied to a cruise ship outbreak that recently made headlines, as the resident had no recent travel history and no known contact with anyone aboard the MV Hondius, which sailed from Argentina on April 1.
County health authorities suspect the man contracted the Sin Nombre variant of the hantavirus after a local rodent exposure, which is the most common source of hantavirus infection in the state, according to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.
In Colorado, Sin Nombre hantavirus infections occur regularly, most frequently during spring and summer, when people breathe in small particles that have been disturbed when cleaning areas infested by rodents who naturally carry the virus.
Though infection is rare since it does not spread between people, Sin Nombre hantavirus exposure is the most common cause of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, a severe and potentially deadly respiratory disease.
Earlier this month, a Douglas County individual died after becoming infected with this variant of the virus.
Hantaviruses are not new, but the disease gained renewed attention last year after the late actor Gene Hackman ’s wife, Betsy Arakawa, died from a hantavirus infection in New Mexico.
Only the Andes variant of the hantavirus, which is native to South America, is known to spread from person-to-person. The Andes variant does not naturally occur in North America and has not been found in Colorado, Arapahoe County health officials said.
CDPHE says avoiding exposure to rodents and their urine, feces, saliva, and nesting materials is the best way to prevent infection.
People who have frequent exposures to rodents should make sure to never sweep or vacuum their dry droppings, as this sends infectious particles up in the air. Instead, public health officials suggest:
- Wearing protective googles, gloves, rubber boots or disposable shoe covers, as well as a disposable N95 respirator
- Opening all doors and windows in the infested area for 30 minutes prior to cleaning, and leaving the area while it airs out
- Spraying the mess with a disinfectant or bleach solution
- Letting the infested area soak for at least five minutes before wiping it up with disposable paper towels or rags
- Disposing all soiled paper towels into a plastic bag before placing that bag into a second plastic bag and disposing it in a covered, outdoor garbage bin
- Washing gloves thoroughly with soap and water, or a disinfectant, before removing them
- Washing your own hands vigorously with soap and water a second time after removing the gloves
- Washing any contaminated bedding or clothing in hot water with laundry detergent before drying them on a high heat setting
The risk of getting infected with Sin Nombre hantavirus in Colorado remains low, according to state health officials.
Per the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Colorado has recorded about 121 total hantavirus cases from 1993 to 2023.
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