Sunday, September 2, 2012

10,000 at Risk in Yosemite
Deadly Mouse-borne Virus...

Overnight guests who stayed in Yosemite’s insulated “Signature” cabins anytime between June and August could have been exposed to a deadly mouse-borne virus that has killed two and sickened four.

Park officials have sent letters and email warnings to about 3,000 people who reserved the cabins, but since they fit four, up to 7,000 more people may have been exposed to the deadly virus. Rangers say that panicked campers have been flooding them with more than 1,000 calls a day since the warning.

Called hantavirus, the illness begins with flu-like symptoms before degenerating into respiratory and organ failure—36 percent of those who contract the virus die. The Daily Beast

~ ~ ~

Furthermore...

The illness that begins as flu-like symptoms can take six weeks to incubate before rapid acute respiratory and organ failure.

There is no cure, and anyone exhibiting the symptoms must be hospitalized. More than 36% of people who contract the rare illness will die from it.

All of the victims confirmed so far stayed in the high-end, insulated "Signature" tent cabins in the park's historic Curry Village section between mid-June and early July.

The report revealed 18% of mice trapped for testing at various locations around the park were positive for hantavirus.

In 2011, half of the 24 U.S. hantavirus cases ended in death. But since 1993, when the virus first was identified, the average death rate is 36%, according to the CDC. USA Today



1 comment:

∞ ≠ ø said...

While it's a shame to see innocent people sickened or hurt, I do believe that pity is wasted on the stupid.

See the caption for the third photo in the following link.

http://www.sfgate.com/columns/slideshow/Yosemite-disease-warning-for-1-700-tourists-48140.php#photo-3379471