YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK, Calif. (AP) — Yosemite National Park officials on Thursday said a man died and a woman is recovering after contracting a rare rodent-borne disease in popular lodging area.
Tests after the man died confirmed he succumbed to hantavirus, park officials said. Both victims stayed in tent cabins in the park in June.
Park officials said the hantavirus has been detected in deer mice around Curry Village Campground.
The virus takes one to six weeks to incubate. It’s fatal for about 30 percent of people who contract it, most likely by inhaling the virus from mouse urine or droppings.
The park concessionaire has been working to disinfect cabins since the discovery, and officials have been trapping and testing mice.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.