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SALT LAKE CITY — Two very different families, one in Salt Lake County and the other in Millard County, are looking for answers after their relatives died suddenly in the last month.
Both families have been told that hantavirus, a rare but potentially deadly virus contracted from mouse droppings, could be to blame. Officials with the Utah Department of Health said Tuesday that lab results have been sent. But the family of Norma Martina Aguirre de Sánchez, 47, remains unsure.
The Delta family has a death certificate that lists the word "pending" as the cause of Sandhez's May 2 death at Utah Valley Regional Medical Center in Provo.
- Fever greater than 100.5°
- Muscle aches
- Chills
- Coughing
- Shortness of breath
- Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea
- Headache
- Dizziness or a light-headed feeling
- Sweating
- Joint, back, chest, or abdominal pain
Sanchez's brother-in-law spoke in Spanish to the Deseret News Tuesday, saying the family wishes it knew why she died. They were originally told she may have contracted a "virus from a mouse" but no one confirmed the diagnosis nor told them how others could avoid getting sick.
Relatives of 35-year-old Tyler Tidwell, of Herriman, are also awaiting confirmation after his "brief but intense struggle against an as yet unknown illness," according to an obituary. He died May 29 at LDS Hospital.
It remains unknown where or how the two contracted the illness, but state epidemiologist JoDee Baker confirmed that both were exposed to mouse droppings in the recent past.
"It's been many years since we've even seen more than one case in a season," she said. "To have two fatalities so early in the season is concerning. Hantavirus is still out there. It's rare, but it is potentially deadly."
Although Hantavirus is rare, infection can be prevented by avoiding contact with rodents and their droppings. The health department urges residents to try to avoid any activities that might stir up dust around rodent-infested areas and offers the following tips.
Safety Tips
To safely clean up rodent urine and droppings, wear a mask, glasses, and rubber or plastic gloves. Get the urine and droppings very wet with disinfectant or a mixture of bleach and water. Allow to soak for five minutes. Use a paper towel to wipe up urine or droppings and throw the towel into the garbage. Mop the area with disinfectant or a bleach solution.
When finished, wash gloved hands with soap and water or spray a disinfectant or bleach solution on the gloves before taking them off. Wash hands with soap and warm water after removing the gloves. The recommended cleaning solution is a mixture of 1½ cups household bleach and 1 gallon of water. A smaller amount can be made with one part bleach and 10 parts water.
Contributing: Nkoyo Iyamba
