Hanta Virus

[Rye Miles #13621]

Piano tuners were known to get this from mice infested pianos years ago. 

 

https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/hantavirus-caused-death-betsy-arakawa-wife-gene-hackman-rcna195418

[Sgt. C.J. Sabre, SASS #46770]

About ten years or so back, before the Zombie Apocalypse, when the media was looking for some kind of pandemic to scare us all, (bird flu, swine flu, ebola, etc), there was a Hanta outbreak in Northern Arizona, mostly on the Indian Reservations, that THEY were trying to convince us was going to kill us all. It didn't.  

[Rye Miles #13621]

24 minutes ago, Sgt. C.J. Sabre, SASS #46770 said:

About ten years or so back, before the Zombie Apocalypse, when the media was looking for some kind of pandemic to scare us all, (bird flu, swine flu, ebola, etc), there was a Hanta outbreak in Northern Arizona, mostly on the Indian Reservations, that THEY were trying to convince us was going to kill us all. It didn't.  

Thats because it’s not contagious from human to human. Just heard a doctor on Fox say that. 

[Boggus Deal #64218]

Living here in New Mexico, I see several cases a year reported. Usually, it’s in the less affluent section of the population. Not a gated community in Santa Fe. I have often worried about it in some old barns and vehicles I’ve worked in and on. 

[Boggus Deal #64218]

My biggest fear at the moment, though, is the measles outbreak in west Texas and eastern New Mexico.

[Choctaw Jack]

46 minutes ago, Sgt. C.J. Sabre, SASS #46770 said:

About ten years or so back, before the Zombie Apocalypse, when the media was looking for some kind of pandemic to scare us all, (bird flu, swine flu, ebola, etc), there was a Hanta outbreak in Northern Arizona, mostly on the Indian Reservations, that THEY were trying to convince us was going to kill us all. It didn't.  

No, it didn't kill us all, but it did kill more than a few.

I live in the Four Corners area, and remember that outbreak well. While it didn't kill everyone that came down with it, it killed enough people that our local hospital was concerned that they  might not have enough beds ,and some cases were sent to Albuquerque for advanced care.

Turned out that it wasn't the apocalypse for all, but it was for the fourteen that died.

Choctaw

[Cold Lake Kid, SASS # 51474]

It happened here in Canada as well. 

My BIL, living in a small Quebec town outside Ottawa, caught it cleaning out his bird feeder, where squirrels had been feeding.

It took quite a long hospital stay for him to recover. 

In his case, his face became so swollen and ravaged, his son did not recognize him and thought he was in the wrong room. 

Edited March 8 by Cold Lake Kid, SASS # 51474

[Cypress Sun]

I remember that Hanta was a mystery virus at first, then they figured out that it was rodent skat/dust related.

Electricians sometimes have to work in areas where rodents have occupied like attics, drop ceilings, opened walls. warehouses, storage areas, etc. I was somewhat concerned about the virus at that time.

Lotta rats and mice in Florida but I don't recall any incidents of Hanta here.

[Grass Range]

A multi-million dollar house has mice?

[Rip Snorter]

Living in the country, in a relatively new decent house, every so often, mice find a way in.  You just have to pay attention and have traps down and control access.  Everywhere I have lived in the country has been pretty much the same, and there is no readily accessible food.   I don't think having it be a mansion does much more than having to watch and manage more. 

[Pat Riot]

27 minutes ago, Grass Range said:

A multi-million dollar house has mice?

Mice don’t care what the building costs. 

[Rye Miles #13621]

If you have a house you probably had a mouse at one time or another!

[J-BAR #18287]

When inspecting food processing establishments, we were taught that if you can see any daylight coming in around an exterior door or window, or pipe or conduit, mice could enter there.

[Eyesa Horg]

3 hours ago, Cypress Sun said:

I remember that Hanta was a mystery virus at first, then they figured out that it was rodent skat/dust related.

Electricians sometimes have to work in areas where rodents have occupied like attics, drop ceilings, opened walls. warehouses, storage areas, etc. I was somewhat concerned about the virus at that time.

Lotta rats and mice in Florida but I don't recall any incidents of Hanta here.

We got warned about it at the phone company as well. However, they provided no PPE and told us to wash the top of beverage cans before drinking. Of course we all did that.🥴

[Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984]

With Spring on the horizon, I will be watching for mouse babies.

[Capt. R. Hugh Kidnme]

2 hours ago, Pat Riot said:

Mice don’t care what the building costs. 

Should've traded the dogs for a good mouser cat or two.

[Texas Joker]

She was a pianist. Likely inhaled hanta from an instrument

Edited March 8 by Texas Joker

[Rye Miles #13621]

13 minutes ago, Texas Joker said:

She was a pianist. Likely inhaled hanta from an instrument

Unlikely she inhaled it from a closed piano. If she opened it up maybe and her hands were exposed to mouse urine or poop then touched her mouth or eyes. I’m a piano tuner mice are inside the piano. 

[Texas Joker]

Yes and a musician at her level Likely tunes her own

[Rip Snorter]

Mice are odd, but a piano, other than a refuge in an infestation, just doesn't seem a likely home. Particularly if played for practice by an expert - can you say hammer down?

 

[Rye Miles #13621]

34 minutes ago, Texas Joker said:

Yes and a musician at her level Likely tunes her own

I highly doubt she tunes her own piano. The best pianists in the world don’t tune their own pianos!

[Texas Joker]

Best guess I had

[Rye Miles #13621]

33 minutes ago, Rip Snorter said:

Mice are odd, but a piano, other than a refuge in an infestation, just doesn't seem a likely home. Particularly if played for practice by an expert - can you say hammer down?

 

A piano is a great place for mice, I’ve found mice droppings and some nests and dead mice in pianos in 38 years of tuning and repairing pianos! They use the felt and make nests in the corners of the piano. One time I found 2 little mice skeletons in a felt nest. I guess mom never made it back. 
True if a piano is played daily there’s less of a chance but unless it’s played 24 hours a day, they’ll get in. 

Edited March 8 by Rye Miles #13621

[Rip Snorter]

2 hours ago, Rye Miles #13621 said:

A piano is a great place for mice, I’ve found mice droppings and some nests and dead mice in pianos in 38 years of tuning and repairing pianos! They use the felt and make nests in the corners of the piano. One time I found 2 little mice skeletons in a felt nest. I guess mom never made it back. 
True if a piano is played daily there’s less of a chance but unless it’s played 24 hours a day, they’ll get in. 

Can't argue with experience.

[J-BAR #18287]

Lots of rodents outside the home in such a rural setting.  She could have been exposed while walking the dogs, taking out the trash, etc. Incubation could have been as much as 2 months before symptoms became evident.  
 

Just saying her piano may not have been the source of infection.

 

 I think the investigation has been conducted remarkably well.  The conclusion that Mrs. Hackman succumbed to Hantavirus and that Mr. Hackman was incapacitated by dementia and died after she did makes sense and is supported by forensic evidence.

[Rye Miles #13621]

3 hours ago, J-BAR #18287 said:

Lots of rodents outside the home in such a rural setting.  She could have been exposed while walking the dogs, taking out the trash, etc. Incubation could have been as much as 2 months before symptoms became evident.  
 

Just saying her piano may not have been the source of infection.

 

 I think the investigation has been conducted remarkably well.  The conclusion that Mrs. Hackman succumbed to Hantavirus and that Mr. Hackman was incapacitated by dementia and died after she did makes sense and is supported by forensic evidence.

Right and like I said unless she was actually inside her piano and cleaning it or repairing it which is highly doubtful it probably wasn’t the source. Piano tuners are susceptible to the virus because our hands are inside the instruments. With Gene having Alzheimer’s he may not have even realized they had an infestation in the house. Really sad ending to a couple who seemed to be very nice folks.

Edited March 9 by Rye Miles #13621

[watab kid]

im saddened that they died this way , i did hear this release the other day , i suspect there is reason to believe that a lot of deaths might get contributed to rodents they are pesky these days and always have been , he was older and had lived a ,ong and productive life but she was relativly young , its a sad thing for sure