Southwest tribes continue focus on Sin Nombre hantavirus strain
Health officials say the Andes strain remains a low risk to the general public while Southwest communities continue prevention work around Sin Nombre
Southwest tribal communities continue to focus on the Sin Nombre strain of hantavirus after an Andes strain outbreak on a cruise ship drew international attention, according to reporting by ICT. The Sin Nombre strain was identified in 1993 after cases in the Four Corners area. It cannot spread person to person. The Andes strain is the only known hantavirus strain that can spread person to person, health officials said.
Dr. Laura Hammitt, director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Indigenous Health’s Infectious Disease Program, told ICT the risk to the general public from the cruise ship outbreak is low. She said people in areas where Sin Nombre circulates should continue keeping mice out of homes and safely cleaning droppings and nests. The Navajo Epidemiology Center recommends airing out sheds or animal stalls, using masks and gloves and spraying droppings or carcasses with bleach-water before removal.
- 1.Pauly Denetclaw. ICT, .
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