The first ever case of the Sin Nombre Hantavirus has been discovered in Michigan. A Washtenaw County woman contracted the virus while cleaning a vacant house and is now hospitalized.
The rare disease is usually picked up from inhaling particles of rodent feces and can cause a severe respiratory illness.
Doctor Joneigh Khaldun is the state’s Chief Medical Executive. She says the Hantavirus does not present a broader public health threat.
“It’s not transmitted really from person to person, really we think that people get it directly from that rodent. Unfortunately, it does have a 40% fatality rate.”
The state health department is asking people to wear ventilators and other protective equipment if they’re cleaning up places with a lot of rodent droppings.