An adult in Douglas County has died after a confirmed hantavirus infection, the first death from the disease in Colorado since 2024. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment announced it on Monday.
The timing invites a guess that the cruise ship outbreak that made headlines worldwide is to blame. It is not. Spokesperson Hope Shuler wrote in an email: “Preliminary evidence suggests the infection was acquired by local exposure to rodents. The risk to the general public remains low and the investigation is ongoing.”
Two different viruses
Hantavirus is a family of viruses, not a single one, and the members behave differently. The Andes virus behind the cruise ship outbreak, which has sickened at least 11 people and killed at least three, can pass from person to person. It is found mainly in South America.
Colorado has the Sin Nombre version. It has not been shown to spread between people. Deer mice, found across the state, carry it, and the likeliest route to infection is contact with their droppings or urine. Live rodents, wild or pet, can also spread it.
The state is no stranger to the disease. From 1993 through 2023 Colorado reported the second-highest number of human hantavirus infections in the U.S., with 121 cases and 45 deaths. Only New Mexico, with 129 cases and 54 deaths, recorded more.
Why spring and summer
Cases tend to turn up in spring and summer, when people clear out sheds, cabins and garages and run into droppings while they tidy.
The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises against vacuuming or sweeping droppings, since that can send virus particles into the air. Cleaners should wear rubber or plastic gloves. After a heavy infestation, a mask, goggles and coveralls are also recommended.
The CDC’s method runs in steps:
Spray the droppings with disinfectant and let it soak in for five minutes. Wipe it up with paper towels and put them in the trash. Clean the area again with disinfectant. Then wash gloved hands with soap and water or disinfectant before taking the gloves off, and wash bare hands again.
The cruise ship outbreak
Eighteen people who were aboard the ship are now in the United States and being monitored for symptoms. Public health authorities in 10 states are watching others who may have been exposed.
Colorado is not one of them. State health officials said last week that the outbreak has not affected Colorado, though they still join weekly conference calls with global health authorities to keep up with the threat.
