Sacramento. Three deaths during the last 14 months in California have been linked to the arenavirus, a rare virus never before acquired by humans in North America, state health officials revealed in a report earlier this month.

The virus was uncovered when a University of Texas Medical Branch research lab that studies the rare virus began looking for it in California. The lab scoured the state’s "unexplained death" registries for cases suggesting that the virus might be present.

A 14-year-old Alameda County girl was the first confirmed fatality. The lab results of two other California residents, whose deaths were initially registered as unexplained, now suggest the presence of the arenavirus, the report said.

The good news is that the virus, although rare, now can be identified and may be treatable in some cases.

"Similar viruses have been treated successfully with anti-viral drugs," said pathologist Charles Fulhorst of the UTMB lab that diagnosed the 14-year-old girl. "This is a rare virus we haven’t looked for before, and now we have the technology to seek it out knowing that we may have a treatment for it," he said.

The Department of Health Services is advising residents to take precautions when camping, cleaning dusty outdoor areas and garages, or working in any areas where rodents could nest. The virus is spread through contact with the urine and feces of rodents, and can be transmitted when dried urine or droppings are stirred and inhaled.

"Because this is a rare event, we don’t want to alarm people," DHSspokeswoman Lea Brooks said. "But, we want to make sure that those at risk are taking the proper precautions to lessen the likelihood of exposure to the virus."

NEWS AND TRENDS | CAREER CENTER | EDUCATION
Home | Resources
Site Index | Contact Us | FAQs | Subscribe | Advertise