New Mexico news: Hantavirus and animal plague

going to take a look at some news out of the state of New Mexico this week. We saw the first

human-hantavirus case of the year and we saw the first animal plague case of the year. So let's go ahead and jump into that. So New Mexico health officials report a Santa Fe County resident was hospitalized with antivirus pulmonary syndrome or HPS. Fortunately, the patient has since recovered from their illness. Now this is the first antivirus case reported in New Mexico this year and since

“1993, New Mexico has reported 143 human cases and I believe that is the most in the country.”

Antivirus pulmonary syndrome is a severe respiratory disease which is fatal and approximately

a third of affected people. So about 35, 36% of people die from this disease. Last year, New Mexico

recorded seven cases and three of them were fatal. Now in New Mexico, the deer mice are the primary carriers of antivirus. Though it could be found in other rodents, the virus is found in mouse droppings and urine. People are typically exposed to antivirus around their homes, cabins or sheds, especially when cleaning out or exploring areas where there are mouse droppings. Now Dr. Aaron Phillips, that's the state public health veterinarian for New Mexico Department

“of Health said it is important to air out cabins, sheds, garages and other spaces before any”

spring cleaning. While antivirus cases remain rare, they can be fatal. So we urge the citizens of New Mexico to take preventive measures when cleaning areas where rodents may be. Now the symptoms of HPS typically develop within one to six weeks after exposure and may feel like the flu or stomach bug. People with HPS may go to experience fever and muscle aches, possibly accompanied by chills, headache, nausea, vomiting diarrhea, abdominal pain and cough,

which can progress to severe illness. To reduce the risk of contracting antivirus

“health officials provide the following guidelines. Air out close up buildings such as cabins and”

sheds, as well as abandoned or stored vehicles before entering. Soak nest and droppings with a disinfectant such as 10% bleach before wiping them up with paper towels, be sure to wear gloves. Don't sweep up rodent droppings because they can spread virus particles into the air where they can be inhaled. Put hay and wood and compost piles as far as possible from your home and dispose of trash and junk piles and trap mice and seal up homes to prevent rodents from entering.

Now the other thing that was reported at the end of last week or the end of this week was a case of plague in a dog also in Santa Fe County. So the New Mexico Department of Health reported

an animal plague case in a Santa Fe County dog this week and this is the first animal plague

case in the state this year. Officials say the dog received veterinary care and has also recovered. Now plague is a disease that circulates in wildlife and is commonly transmitted through flea bites. Plague symptoms in dogs and cats include fever, lithology and loss of appetite. There may be swelling in the lip node under the jaw. Pets can become infected with plague if they eat in infected animal or if they are bitten by

infected fleas according to Dr. Aaron Fibs. Humans can also get plague from the flea bites or direct contact with infected animals including rodents wildlife and pets. Plague symptoms

swollen painful lymph nodes in the groin armpit or neck area. So the prompt diagnosis and antibiotic

“treatment greatly reduces the risk of death at people and pets. So health officials say to prevent”

plague you can do the following. Use a veterinarian approved flea control product on your pets.

Clean up areas near the home where rodents could live such as wood piles, brush piles, junk

and abandoned vehicles. Put hay wood and compost piles far away from your home. Do not leave

“pet food and water where rodents and wildlife can get to it. Ensure that sick pets are examined”

promptly by a veterinarian. Contact your medical provider of any unexplained illness involving sudden in severe fever and avoid sick or dead rodents and rabbits and their nest and burrows.

So we're basically dealing with two very dangerous, not super common in the United States

zoonotic infections basically. So now like for example, hand-to-virus, I mean, out of all the U.S. states New Mexico, Colorado, Arizona, California, Utah. That those areas see the most hand-to-virus.

“In fact, I think about 95 percent of all hand-to-virus cases in the U.S. are reported on”

west of the Mississippi. Plag is also much more common in Western America. New Mexico, Colorado, Oregon, both states we see most of the human plague, and in this case this of course is an animal plague case, but it's a pre-mo warning for the population that plague is out there and it's nothing to play around with. Hand-to-virus, is a virus, plague is caused by a bacterium, your senior pestis. So that can be treated with antibiotics if it's

treated properly. And let me go ahead and close with that. I just want to remind you if you like what you're watching, subscribe to the channel, outbreak news TV, like the video, explore the other videos. If you like them, let me know, comment below, share with your friends, and I'll see you next time at outbreak news TV.