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SEPTEMBER 18, 2000

The hantavirus continues to amaze and dumbfound researchers, who can't figure out why so many cases have been reported this year.

So far, 10 residents of New Mexico have been infected with the virus. Counting five from Arizona and Colorado, five have died, nine have survived, and one patient was in critical condition as of last week.

A recently published article compared an increase in the hantavirus with an increase in moisture. The authors concluded that increased moisture from El Niño led to more food for deer mice, which increased the deer mice population.

But, this year, there has been a drought in the region, causing researchers to think again about the causes and factors relating to hantavirus infection.

Deer mice carry the deadly disease and transmit it to humans. Rural homes are most often affected, due to the mice population.

Get the Story:
Drought Linked to Hantavirus (The Albuquerque Journal 9/18)

Relevant Links:
The Hantavirus, from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/hanta/hantvrus.htm