90-Second Read: Douglas County Hantavirus death tied to rodent exposure

An adult Douglas County resident has died from a case of Hantavirus, prompting an investigation by state and local health officials. The Douglas County Health Department and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment are investigating the case, which officials said likely resulted from local exposure to rodents. Health officials emphasized that the case is not linked to a recent Hantavirus outbreak aboard the MV Hondius cruise ship and said the risk to the public remains low.

The Douglas County resident likely contracted the Sin Nombre strain, the most common Hantavirus in Colorado, officials said. Hantavirus surveillance in the United States began in 1993 following an outbreak in the Four Corners region, which includes Colorado, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Of those cases, the state reported 45 deaths, the second-highest total in the nation after New Mexico.

In April, a Hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship in the Atlantic, linked to the Andes strain, resulted in three deaths. Among patients who develop severe respiratory symptoms related to Hantaviruses, the case fatality rate is approximately 38%, according to the CDC. The resident has not been identified, and the date of death was not disclosed.