Over 1,700 visitors to one of the country's most well-known national parks may have been exposed to the 'Yosemite Rodent Disease', said officials on Tuesday. The visitors have been notified by park officials by email, and two are already dead from the disease, which is carried in the bodily fluids of deer mice and involved the hantavirus pulmonary syndrome.
All of those who were at risk of contracting the disease stayed in the "Signature Tent Cabins' at the Curry Village of Yosemite National Park from the middle of June to the end of August. Anyone who stayed there should watch for symptoms, which can include fever, dizziness, chills and aches. Those affected should seek medical help immediately, although there is no specific treatment for the disease. So, get medical help, but there is no cure. It is simply just a roll of the dice for those affected by the illness.
Deaths from the disease include a man from San Francisco and another women from the Southern California Area. The Curry Village is a part of the park that is intended to be cost and family friendly. Although only four people so far are known to have developed the disease, officials say that symptoms can take six weeks to show up. There are currently 587 instances of this particular virus recorded since 1993. Only two-thirds of those infected survived.
Park officials said that the cabins are clean and that the Yosemite rodent disease is not the fault of the park. A Yosemite spokesperson said, "There are rodents and some are infected and that's what happens. This is a wilderness setting. It has nothing to do with the cleanliness of the cabins." Although the cabins may be clean, mice are apparently still getting in, and Yosemite officials should take responsiblity for not doing enough to keep mice out.
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