RENO, Nev. (AP) — A Washoe County resident who contracted hantavirus has died.
Health district officials say it's the second fatality in the county since 2017 that resulted from the disease that is spread through the droppings, urine and saliva of infected rodents.
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Dr. Randall Todd said Tuesday hantavirus is extremely rare, but when it does occur the disease is fatal 38 percent of the time.
The virus is most commonly spread through deer mice, and can be transmitted to people when they breathe air contaminated with the virus or touch something contaminated.
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Places particularly prone to hantavirus contamination include storage spaces, garages, sheds, cabins and barns.