U.S. death toll in Yosemite hantavirus outbreak rises to three
SAN FRANCISCO |
(Reuters) - A third person who contracted the deadly mouse-borne hantavirus during a visit to Yosemite National Park in California has died of the disease, as the number of confirmed U.S. cases grew to eight, the park said on Thursday.
U.S. officials sounded a worldwide alert this week over the disease, and a park official has said that up to 10,000 people were thought to be at risk of contracting hantavirus pulmonary syndrome from their stays in Yosemite between June and August.
Of the eight U.S. visitors to Yosemite who contracted the disease, all but one fell ill after staying at the park's popular Curry Village camping area. Health officials in France were also investigating two suspected hantavirus cases there of people who may have been exposed while at Yosemite.
(Reporting By Ronnie Cohen; Writing by Cynthia Johnston; Editing by Paul Thomasch)
