90-Second Read: Hantavirus symptoms detected at San Quentin prison

An inmate at the San Quentin Rehabilitation Center in Marin County has exhibited Hantavirus symptoms in a worrying super-spreader area with the potential for an outbreak. An inmate at California's notorious San Quentin prison has exhibited Hantavirus symptoms, sparking concerns of a potential outbreak in a superspreader environment. There have yet to be any confirmed cases of Hantavirus at the prison, officials said. Hantavirus drew a significant amount of public attention after an outbreak infected several American citizens on the MV Hondius cruise ship traveling around the world.

The facility where the sick prisoner was housed has been disinfected, and medical staff will monitor inmates and staff for symptoms indicative of possible exposure. Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome is a rare but severe respiratory illness that can start with flu-like symptoms, sometimes including stomach problems, before rapidly progressing to life-threatening respiratory distress. Four Californians exposed to the cruise ship outbreak were being monitored by the state for infection last month. Officials at the prison believe the inmate's sickness was not caused by person-to-person contact and no quarantine has been announced.

The prison, officially known as the San Quentin Rehabilitation Center, houses more than 3,000 inmates. A prison official did not know whether the inmate was still being treated at the medical unit or had been returned to his regular housing facility, ABC 7 reported. The fatality rate is about 30% to 40%, and there is no antiviral treatment, according to the the California Department of Public Health. Two of the them have already returned home and are being monitored by local public health officials.