Klamath Falls, Ore. – A rare, but potentially deadly disease has been confirmed in Klamath County.
Health officials have confirmed that a patient has contracted the Hantavirus.
“The diagnosis is very difficult,” Dr. Wendy Warren said. “Because it initially presents with symptoms that are really, like you could have with the flu.”
The disease is transmitted through bites, or contact with infected rodents.
“In our area, it’s mostly from the deer mouse,” Dr. Warren explained. “Deer mice are brown, with white bellies, whereas a usual mouse that you would see in your house is usually gray.”
It’s possible to catch the disease by inhaling dust infected by contaminated deer mice.
“If you’re cleaning up a barn, if you’re cleaning up a woodpile, even in your house – if you don’t know what kind of mice are in your house, and you’re cleaning up after them, you just need to be careful,” Dr. Warren said.
The disease is rare, with less than 800 cases ever reported in the U.S.
Symptoms can include a fever and chills, muscle aches, headache, fatigue, and nausea.
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