You might want to rethink that summer camping trip: A California man recently died after coming in contact with the rare Hantavirus at a lodge in Yosemite National Park and a woman who stayed at the lodge has fallen ill.
According to the Associated Press, the virus was found in deer mice droppings that were present in the lodge’s cabins. Yuck.
"There's no way to tell for sure, but state health officials feel they may have contracted it here in Curry Village," park spokesman Scott Gediman said.
Hantavirus can be contracted from breathing in dust that has been contaminated with rodent droppings, urine, or saliva.
The symptoms of the disease can take up to six weeks to develop and include fever, body aches, nausea, coughing, and vomiting to name a few; only a third of individuals afflicted by the virus actually survive.
Apparently the park plans to set rodent traps next week, although eliminating the rodents form the park completely isn’t an option.
"There's no way we're going to eliminate rodents, but we will continue to test and monitor them," Gediman said.