64.6 F
Los Angeles
Saturday, October 5, 2024

Rats infected with Orthohantavirus found in San Diego

- Advertisement -

A wild rat infected with the Hanta virus, which can be fatal if infected, was first discovered this year. [County News Center website capture]
A wild rat infected with the Orthohantavirus, which can be fatal to humans, has been found in the eastern county grassland of San Diego for the first time this year.

The San Diego County Department of Health recently confirmed that wild rat collected in the Campo area were infected with the Orthohantavirus. When a person is infected with the virus, symptoms such as fever, headache and muscle pain, abdominal pain, vomiting, and diarrhea will follow, and it is fatal if the lungs are affected.

If a hole is found in the backyard of the house that appears to have been dug by a wild mouse, the health department says the rat should be caught immediately.