Outbreak of Hantavirus Infection in Yosemite National Park

As of September 13, the National Park Service (NPS) has announced a total of 9 confirmed cases of hantavirus infection in people who recently visited Yosemite National Park. The visitors to Yosemite are residents of: California (7), Pennsylvania (1), and West Virginia (1). Three of the confirmed cases were fatal. NPS public health officials believe that 8 of the 9 people with confirmed hantavirus infection were exposed to the virus while staying at the Signature Tent Cabins in Curry Village in Yosemite National Park. The other park visitor with hantavirus infection was probably exposed to the virus while hiking or staying at the High Sierra Camps, located about 15 miles from Curry Village. The park is contacting visitors who stayed in the Signature Tent Cabins from mid-June through the end of August, advising them to seek immediate medical attention if they exhibit symptoms of Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS), a rare but serious illness caused by hantavirus. The park is also providing information about HPS risks and symptoms to visitors who stayed at the High Sierra Camps this summer. On September 12, the park sent an additional notification on HPS to all overnight visitors to the park. CDC and the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) are working with NPS in responding to the situation. The Signature Tent Cabins in Curry Village have been closed. CDC is supporting the NPS response with testing of patient samples for evidence of hantavirus infection, providing guidance on clinical management of HPS and epidemiologic support for the response, and maintaining a Hantavirus Hotline for public inquiries. The park is providing educational materials about hantavirus and HPS to all visitors to the park.