Hantavirus claims McKinley Co. man
A homestead sets out in the open range as a Navajo Mine dragline excavator digs for coal, leaving large piles of dirt along its path in November 2013 in Burnham, N.M. (Times file photo.)
A 25 year-old man from McKinley County has become the latest victim of the Hantavirus, officials for the New Mexico Department of Health announced Tuesday.
He is the fifth victim of the Hantavirus this year. He is third one to die this year.
Health officials did not say whether the victim lived on or off the Navajo Reservation.
The risk of getting the disease has increased this year because of the increase in mice, according to state health officials.
“Due to a lot of precipitation during winter and early spring, many people are seeing a larger than usual number of mice, leading to increased chance of being exposed to the disease,” said Dr. Paul Ettestad, the department’s public health veterinarian.
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