Hantavirus outbreak 2024: CDC confirms 850 cases across 32 states

Muhammad Asghar | GlobalBeat

850 Americans have contracted hantavirus this year, the highest annual total since tracking began in 1993.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported the new figure late Tuesday, showing infections spread across 32 states with Colorado, New Mexico, and Montana leading case counts.

Rodent populations exploded across the Mountain West after heavy winter snows melted, driving infected deer mice into closer contact with humans. The virus kills 38 percent of those who develop the severe lung form known as HPS.

Dr. Sarah Chen, a CDC epidemiologist, told reporters the spike reflects “perfect storm conditions” of weather, habitat, and human behavior. “We haven’t seen numbers like this since the original Four Corners outbreak,” she said.

Colorado officials counted 212 cases through October, triple the state’s previous annual record. San Juan Basin Health Department director Liza Boone said rural homeowners are getting sick while cleaning cabins and sheds. “They sweep up mouse droppings and the virus goes airborne,” Boone explained.

New Mexico recorded 178 cases with 71 deaths, giving the state the nation’s highest hantavirus mortality rate. University of New Mexico researcher Brian Gómez tracked deer mouse populations that surged 400 percent after monsoon rains. “More mice means more virus,” Gómez said.

Native American communities have been hit hardest. The Navajo Nation reported 94 cases and 41 deaths on the reservation spanning Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah. Navajo President Buu Nygren declared a public health emergency in September, directing chapter houses to distribute free cleaning supplies and rodent traps.

Montana’s Glacier County saw 15 cases in a single month, all linked to vacation homes near Glacier National Park. Local health officer Tammy Maland said out-of-state owners arrived for summer visits. “They opened up cabins that had been sealed all winter,” Maland told reporters.

The economic toll is mounting. Colorado hospitals have treated hantavirus patients for an average of 18 days each, with intensive care stays exceeding $100,000 per case. Rural medical centers report draining emergency funds to airlift critical patients to Denver.

Tourism officials fear fallout as bookings drop 15 percent in affected areas. Montana’s Whitefish Chamber of Commerce launched a “Safe Cabins” certification program requiring properties to show proof of professional rodent proofing. “One case at a vacation rental can tank an entire season,” chamber director Rebecca Norton said.

Background

Hantavirus first grabbed headlines in 1993 when a mysterious respiratory illness killed 12 people in the Four Corners region where Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona and Utah meet. CDC investigators traced the outbreak to deer mice carrying a previously unknown hantavirus strain.

The virus spreads through contact with infected rodent urine, droppings, or saliva. Deer mice shed the virus constantly, contaminating dust that becomes airborne during cleaning or construction. Symptoms appear 1 to 8 weeks after exposure, starting with fever and muscle aches before progressing to severe breathing difficulty.

What’s Next

CDC officials expect cases to continue through winter as people seal homes against cold weather. A federal grant will fund mouse-proofing for 5,000 low-income households across the Mountain West starting in January, with applications opening December 1.

Watch for states to tighten rental property regulations requiring annual rodent inspections. Colorado lawmakers will consider a bill mandating disclosure of any previous hantavirus cases when selling homes, following similar legislation already passed in New Mexico.