WSU Study Finds 30% of Pacific Northwest Rodents Carried Hantavirus Markers

6 articles · Updated · KOMO News · May 21

Nearly 30% of 189 rodents trapped in Washington and Idaho showed past Sin Nombre infection, and about 10% were actively infected and potentially shedding the virus, Washington State University researchers reported.
Samples collected in 2023 from farms and natural areas in Whitman, Latah and Benewah counties found infections in deer mice and voles, suggesting the virus may move between species.
Researchers also generated the first full Northwest genome sequences of Sin Nombre virus, finding high genetic diversity and signs of reassortment that could improve surveillance and source tracking.
Sin Nombre causes hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, which logged 864 U.S. cases from 1993 to 2022 with a 36% fatality rate; 109 cases were reported in Idaho, Oregon and Washington.
Human infections remain rare and usually stem from inhaling particles from rodent droppings or nests, prompting officials to urge ventilation and wet-cleaning rather than sweeping enclosed spaces.

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