The diagnosis was confirmed through testing at the Arizona State Health Laboratory. This is the first confirmed case of HPS in Arizona this year. Nine cases were fatal. Four cases were reported in Arizona last year. HPS is an often deadly disease that usually begins with flu-like symptoms, and may rapidly progress to respiratory failure when the lungs fill with fluid.
Patients usually develop breathing difficulty approximately two to six days after onset of symptoms.
Hantavirus is spread by the deer mouse and other closely-related species of wild mice, which excrete the virus in their urine, droppings and saliva. People can become infected by inhaling particles of the virus which may become airborne when rodent droppings or nests are disturbed. The virus is not spread from person to person. Nationwide, there have been more than 280 cases of HPS reported in 31 states since the virus was first recognized. The disease was first recognized during a 1993 outbreak that occurred in the Four Corners area, affecting 53 people in Arizona, Utah, New Mexico and Colorado.