Hantavirus: What it is, how it spreads, how often it's fatal

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Health

Here's what you request to cognize astir hantavirus, the rodent-borne pathogen blamed for the decease of Betsy Arakawa, the woman of histrion Gene Hackman. Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome has killed astatine slightest 34 radical successful Canada over the past 3 decades.

Betsy Arakawa, woman of histrion Gene Hackman, died of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome astatine their New Mexico home

Mike Crawley · CBC News

· Posted: Mar 10, 2025 4:41 PM EDT | Last Updated: 4 hours ago

A idiosyncratic holds a cervid rodent with their close manus wrapped successful a wide integrative bag.

Hantavirus, the rodent-borne pathogen blamed for the decease of performance pianist Betsy Arakawa, the woman of histrion Gene Hackman, is simply a uncommon but often fatal microorganism that has killed astatine slightest 34 radical successful Canada implicit the past 3 decades.

Arakawa, 65, died of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome successful mid-February, astir a week earlier the 95-year-old Hackman died of bosom failure, apt brought connected by his dementia and his inability to attraction for himself, according to the main aesculapian researcher for New Mexico.

What is hantavirus?

Multiple hantaviruses person been reported astir the world, and each are dispersed by rodents specified arsenic rats and mice. Five taxon successful North America are known to transportation hantaviruses, 3 of which are commonly recovered successful Canada: the cervid mouse, white-footed rodent and red-backed vole.

In humans, a hantavirus corruption tin origin superior diseases. The astir communal unwellness from an corruption successful North America is hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, an often terrible respiratory illness that typically begins with flu-like symptoms.

How tin you declaration hantavirus?

Humans tin declaration a hantavirus corruption done indirect interaction with the discarded of an infected rodent. This includes simply inhaling microorganism particles erstwhile vacuuming oregon sweeping a rodent's urine, droppings oregon saliva.

Humans tin besides beryllium infected done nonstop contact, specified arsenic touching objects oregon eating nutrient that has been contaminated by an infected rodent, oregon from a rodent bite.

WATCH | More info connected deaths of Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa:

Gene Hackman died of bosom illness 1 week aft woman died of hantavirus

U.S. investigators accidental Oscar-winning histrion Gene Hackman apt died of bosom illness 1 week aft his woman Betsy Arakawa died of hantavirus successful a abstracted country successful their New Mexico home. Police accidental Hackman’s dementia was a apt contributor to his death.

How uncommon is it?

Since surveillance began successful the aboriginal 1990s, 163 cases of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome person been confirmed by the National Microbiology Lab successful Winnipeg, portion of the Public Health Agency of Canada, said David Safronetz, the lab's main of peculiar pathogens, successful an interrogation with CBC News connected Monday. That works retired to an mean of astir 5 cases successful Canada each year.

A 2020 study led by National Microbiology Lab scientists showed a geographic breakdown of confirmed cases, with much than fractional recovered successful Alberta (73), followed by smaller numbers successful Saskatchewan (28), British Columbia (16) and Manitoba (5).

Only 1 lawsuit of transmission to humans successful Canada was reported eastbound of the Prairie provinces, successful Quebec. Researchers judge this is due to the fact that of familial differences betwixt the hantaviruses carried by rodents successful eastbound and occidental parts of North America.

Of the 143 confirmed Canadian cases successful that 2020 report, 34 were fatal.

What are the symptoms of an infection, and however is it treated?

The symptoms of a hantavirus corruption tin look anyplace from 1 to 8 weeks aft exposure, but connected mean look aft 2 weeks. A idiosyncratic suffering from hantavirus pulmonary syndrome tin amusement a scope of symptoms that see terrible fatigue, fever, musculus pain, headache and nausea, and tin advancement to trouble breathing.

There are nary antiviral medications disposable to dainty a hantavirus infection. The typical people of attraction involves admittance to intensive care, wherever the aesculapian squad volition effort to easiness the patient's symptoms, including by providing oxygen and putting them connected a ventilator.

WATCH | How you tin trim your hazard of hantavirus infection:

Hantavirus adept connected however to trim your hazard of infection

David Safronetz, main of peculiar pathogens astatine the National Microbiology Lab, says astir hantavirus infections successful Canada hap successful the outpouring and aboriginal summer, often erstwhile radical are cleaning up aft mice erstwhile opening a abstraction that has been closed for the wintertime similar a cottage. He outlines what radical tin bash to trim their hazard of getting infected.

How deadly is it?

Reported fatality rates from hantavirus pulmonary corruption ranges anyplace from 20 to 50 per cent, depending connected the strain of the virus.

The fatality complaint successful British Columbia is astir 44 per cent, according to a 2023 report by the B.C. Centre for Disease Control.

In 2015, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention pegged the wide fatality complaint astatine 36 per cent. Given the precocious fatality rate, researchers have described it arsenic "one of the astir terrible infectious diseases endemic to the United States."

How tin you forestall it?

Most hantavirus infections successful Canada hap successful the outpouring and aboriginal summer, often due to the fact that that's erstwhile radical are entering enclosed spaces wherever cervid mice person been active, combined with seasonal increases successful cervid rodent populations.

Health experts counsel if you are opening a cabin, cottage oregon trailer that's been closed for the winter, aerial retired the operation arsenic overmuch arsenic imaginable and deterioration a disguise and gloves erstwhile cleaning immoderate rodent discarded to forestall transmission of the virus.

The rodents that transportation hantavirus don't amusement signs of sickness themselves. Safronetz says the immense bulk of infections successful North America are believed to originate with cervid mice carrying the Sin Nombre virus, the strain of hantavirus that is astir commonly transmitted to humans.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Mike Crawley has covered Ontario authorities for CBC News since 2009. He began his vocation arsenic a paper newsman successful B.C., spent six years arsenic a freelance writer successful assorted parts of Africa, past joined the CBC successful 2005. Mike was calved and raised successful Saint John, N.B.