Public health officials are particularly worried about hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS). Their concerns were exacerbated when a recent inspection revealed significant rodent activity at actor Gene Hackman’s Santa Fe residence. Inspection by the New Mexico Department of Public Health found signs of a rodent infestation in many of the property’s outbuildings. This inquiry follows the tragic death of Hackman’s wife from COVID virus related complications, which brings about troubling allegations into serious question.
HPS, a grave respiratory illness caused by the hantavirus, can develop into life-threatening pulmonary syndrome. Symptoms of HPS include fatigue, fever, muscle aches, dizziness, and abdominal symptoms. These symptoms usually develop when airborne particles that contain the virus—as well as other germs or irritants—are inhaled. These particles can be aerosolized from a rodent’s urine, droppings, or saliva. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently sounded an alarming alarm. When respiratory symptoms occur in the course of HPS, mortality can increase up to nearly 38%.
The city’s Board of Health initially inspected the space and found large rodents nests and droppings. These troubling violations took place in eight separate buildings connected to the Hackman property. More troubling was the evidence that rodents had taken residence in three garages, two outdoor rooms, and three sheds. Interestingly, we found both a live rodent and a dead rodent in addition to the rodent feces within these outbuildings.
In contrast to these discoveries, the primary living quarters was found to be “in good sanitary condition with no evidence of rodent infestation.” Officials logged increased rodent activity. They found two nests and bird droppings in two junked cars and farming equipment littered across the property.
From 1993 to 2022, CDC confirmed 864 cases of hantavirus in the U.S. All but two of these cases occurred in rural western states, where rodent populations are prevalent. The likelihood of HPS transmission increases when humans experience settings with contaminated rodent vectors. Particularly so in out buildings and peripheries of their homes.
Health officials are advising people in impacted areas to minimize exposure. They want tons of additional people to keep their exposure to sources of hantavirus to a minimum. For homeowners, they don’t want their properties looking trashy. They need the flexibility and resources to respond immediately to any rodent infestations in order to guard against threats to public health.
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