ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – Hantavirus, the disease that killed Gene Hackman’s wife, is carried in more than 30 animals in New Mexico, according to a new study by researchers with the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center. They screened over a thousand mammals from across the state since 2019 and found the virus in not just mice but also in squirrels, chipmunks, gophers, and rats.
The researchers found the virus is most prevalent in the Four Corners Region. In fact, the first deadly outbreak in North America occurred there in 1993. The study states they still are not sure why that is the case, but they urge people to be cautious as humans mainly contract the virus when cleaning up droppings from those animals. The fatality rate for hantavirus is 36%.