Hotel employee, 26, dies of rare rat-linked virus that killed Gene Hackman’s wife: report

New York Post ^ | April 26, 2025 | Anna Young

[nickcarraway]

There could be an outbreak of this at Sutter Health Park, the minor league place where the Sacramento A’s play.

[Jonty30]

My mother’s friend died of an infection from changing kitty litter. It may have been the same virus.

[kaktuskid]

Hantavirus comes from rodents…not just rats, but mice and squirrels. It seems to be worse in wet years when there is more food like seeds.

[rktman]

Hanta virus from mice/rats.

[nwrep]

How can that be? Cats kill rodents.

[Jonty30]

They eat rodents and poop out the viruses.

[webheart]

That was probably toxoplasmosis which is a parasitic infection not a virus.

[Getready]

My AI research assistant tells me that cats and dogs don’t spread hanta virus to humans, but they could be infected. It seems counter-intuitive that it cannot be spread to humans by any infected animal. So far, it seems to be spread by urine, saliva and droppings of some rodents...either by aerosol route or direct route like touching or breathing it in. Since not all cat urine or feces is tested for it, the general idea is that it is not infectious to humans.
Cat litter can harbor other viruses or parasites, however.
FYI, and IMHO

[RckyRaCoCo]

Too many ‘rats in California

[Jonty30]

It may have not been. My internet searching has informed me that Hanta Virus is not transmissible through the litter box.

However, Cryptosporidium is transmissible and can be deadly for people if they have a compromised immune system and it be picked up by changing kitty litter.

[castlebrew]

“Convulsions”?

Not listed on the CDC site...

[DannyTN]

[Mark17]

I didn’t know R Lee Ermy was in Willard.

[Mark17]

There could be an outbreak of this at Sutter Health Park, the minor league place where the Sacramento A’s play.

Didn’t that used to be called Raley Field? I remember crossing that weird looking bridge. As I recall, the federal building is on Capitol Mall Blvd, along with the State Capitol. I had to go to Cal PERS office on Q street a few times too, and the K Street Mall is near there.

[Uversabound]

The movie Willard was on Svengoolie last night

[nuconvert]

No, not the same. The kitty litter ds is toxoplasmosis.

[nuconvert]

Every year in Colorado & New Mex. the state puts out warnings about Hanta virus. People sweeping out their garage after finding mouse droppings get sick a few days later and think they have the flu, only to die a week or so later.
The rule is: Don’t sweep the poop. It aerosolizes the virus, you breath it into your lungs, and you’re probably not going to survive.

[Wilderness Conservative]

I’m surprised the CDC hasn’t weaponized the virus and released it into the general public

[George from New England]

Just on Svengoolie last night