90-Second Read: WSU study finds high prevalence of the Hantavirus in parts o...

A study conducted in the Palouse region of Washington and Idaho indicated that nearly 30% of rodents showed evidence of past infection by the Sin Nombre virus, a strain of Hantavirus, and 10% were actively infected. Whitman County Public Health Director Chris Skidmore said in an interview the only reported Hantavirus infection, and death, in the county was in February 2025. Skidmore, who said Hantavirus infections are very rare, recounted three total cases reported in eastern Washington over the last 10 years.

The study led by WSU's College of Veterinary Medicine was published in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Emerging Infectious Diseases journal, which can be read at bit.ly/4nSufbE. The post noted that Hantavirus has caught public attention due to an outbreak of Andes virus on a cruise ship, a rare Hantavirus species which is the only Hantavirus known to spread between humans. The post explained Sin Nombre virus was first identified during a 1993 outbreak in the Four Corners region of the U.S. Around 860 cases have been reported across the country, approximately 110 of those occurring in Idaho, Oregon and Washington, from its discovery through 2022.

Health officials recommend ventilating spaces and using wet-cleaning methods to reduce the risk of inhalation. The study was conducted by researchers who trapped rodents across farms and natural areas in Whitman, Washington, Latah and Benewah counties in the summer of 2023, the post said. Rodents can spread the virus among themselves, but human infections typically occur through contact with airborne particles from contaminated rodent droppings, urine or nesting materials.