Yosemite Camper Dies From Rare Rodent Disease

August 16, 2012 10:05 PM

Yosemite National Park spans part of the Sierra Nevada mountain range. The park is visited by an average of 3.5 million people per year. Visitors to the park are able to climb up Half Dome or El Capitan to get panoramic views of the park. (Photo by David McNeil /Newsmakers)

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YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK (CBS/AP) – Yosemite National Park officials said Thursday that a man is dead and a woman is recovering after contracting a rare rodent-borne disease in popular lodging area.

Park officials said Thursday that tests confirmed the man died from hantavirus in late July. Both victims had been staying in tent cabins in the park in June.

Park officials say the hantavirus has been detected in deer mice around Curry Village Campground.

The virus takes one to six weeks to incubate. It’s fatal for about 30 percent of people who contract it, most likely by inhaling the virus from mouse urine or droppings.

The park concessionaire has been working to disinfect cabins since the discovery, and officials have been trapping and testing mice.

KCBS’ Melissa Culross Reports:

Bay Area Man Dies From Rare Disease After Camping At Yosemite

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