LOS ANGELES, May 18 (Xinhua) -- Health authorities in the U.S. state of Colorado are investigating a locally acquired hantavirus infection that resulted in death, according to U.S. media reports on Monday.
This case is not linked to the recent hantavirus outbreak aboard the polar expedition cruise ship MV Hondius, according to a statement from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.
The deceased case of hantavirus was an adult resident of Douglas County, Colorado.
Preliminary evidence suggests the infection was acquired through local exposure to rodents. The risk to the general public remains low and the investigation is ongoing, the statement said.
According to the statement, hantavirus infections caused by the Sin Nombre hantavirus occur regularly in Colorado, usually in the spring and summer, and can cause a severe and sometimes deadly respiratory disease. In Colorado, the deer mouse is the rodent species that most commonly exposes people to the virus.
Avoiding exposure to rodents and their urine, feces, saliva and nesting materials is the best way to prevent infection, the department said.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, hantaviruses can cause hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, a potentially life-threatening disease. Early symptoms include fever, fatigue and muscle aches, followed by coughing and shortness of breath in more severe cases.
The recent outbreak aboard the MV Hondius cruise ship involved Andes virus, another member of the hantavirus family. Although both Andes virus and Sin Nombre virus belong to the hantavirus group, they are different strains.
