FYI hantavirus

Human Hantavirus on the Rise
Between January and March of this year, health departments from Arizona, New Mexico, North Dakota, Texas, and Washington State reported an increased incidence of human hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS)….

So far, the only treatment for HPS is supportive care, and survival depends on early recognition, hospitalization, and aggressive pulmonary and hemodynamic support. Even with treatment, human HPS has a mortality rate of 30% to 40%….

Reuters Health Information2006

http://mp.medscape.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/e3z10LfhuS0Dyr0HcL10EE

More information can be obtained at

http://www.cdc.gov/hantavirus

photo from wikimedia, http://tinyurl.com/hgwnd

Cute, eh? When I checked a few years ago, there were some deermice in southeast Alaska (British Columbia) but I haven’t heard of any hantavirus from these creatures. But, like the woodchuck (a.k.a., groundhog, another marmot in Alaska), the deermouse, along with the cougar and the coyote [I think] may move up the corridor that runs from BC to Fairbanks.