India, May 22 -- The Sin Nombre virus, a hantavirus carried by rodents that can cause a serious lung disease in humans, may be more common in rodents in parts of the Pacific Northwest than scientists once thought, according to a study published in the CDC's Emerging Infectious Diseases journal.
Led by researchers from Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine, the new study in parts of Washington and Idaho found that nearly 30% of rodents had been infected with the virus at some point. Meanwhile, around 10% were currently infected, signaling that they could still spread it.
The Sin Nombre virus was first discovered during a 1993 outbreak in the Four Corners area of the United States. It mainly lives in deer mice, which ar...