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By Jasmine Laws
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A park employee at Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona was confirmed to have been exposed to hantavirus, which is rare but often fatal, Coconino County health officials confirmed after the July 4 holiday weekend, according to local news outlet 8newsnow.com.
Officials also confirmed a separate case of rabies exposure at the park.
"Coconino County Health and Human Services (CCHHS) strives to protect and improve the health and well-being of our communities—an important component of these efforts is detecting and responding to infectious diseases," a Coconino County Health and Human Services spokesperson told Newsweek.
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"Because hantavirus is endemic to our area, public information prevention campaigns are ongoing," they added.
So far in 2025 in Arizona, there have been six confirmed cases of hantavirus, the Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) told Newsweek.
"Most cases of hantavirus in Arizona have been reported from the northern part of the state," a spokesperson said.
Newsweek has contacted the National Park Service outside of regular working hours via email for comment.
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Why It Matters
Hantavirus is primarily spread by deer mice, which are prevalent in the Grand Canyon area. The virus can cause a host of serious, even fatal, illnesses such as hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) and hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS), according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The CDC said that HPS has a 38 percent fatality rate, while fatality rates for HFRS depend on the virus strain. New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado and California record the highest number of hantavirus infections nationally, although the virus remains rare.
This is not the first time the virus has been traced to a National Park—for example, there were also cases of HPS in visitors to Yosemite National Park in 2012.
What To Know
The virus is typically transmitted from rodent to human, and not human-to-human, usually following exposure to rat or mice urine, droppings or saliva. It can also spread via a bite or scratch, but this is unlikely.
Those who handle and clean up after rodents, such National Park employees, are at higher risk of hantavirus exposure and should take precautions, the CDC advises.
However, there is some evidence of human-to-human hantavirus transmission in South America, Luis E. Escobar, a professor of Fish and Wildlife Conservation at Virginia Tech, told Newsweek.
"Hantavirus has epidemic potential and should be treated as of public health concern considering that it has not cure and not vaccine," he added.
Authorities did not state how the Grand Canyon employee was thought to have been exposed to the virus.
Grand Canyon spokesperson Joelle Baird told the San Francisco news outlet SFGATE that park service is going to "incredible lengths for cleanup" to control the spread of the virus.
The spokesperson informed the outlet that on June 20, the employee began to experience symptoms of HPS and went to Flagstaff Medical Center, where they received treatment.
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They have since been released from the hospital and continue to recover but the spokesperson was uncertain of when the employee would return to work, SFGATE reported.
Five cases of hantavirus have been reported in Arizona so far this year, according to local news outlet 8newsnow.com, citing state officials.
Hantavirus hit the headlines earlier this year when an autopsy confirmed that the late actor Gene Hackman's wife, Betsy Arakawa, died from HPS in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
The Grand Canyon National Park has also confirmed a rabies case, which it linked to a bat collected near Kanab Creek Canyon, according to the local news outlet Austin American Stateman.
Health officials reported the bat tested positive for rabies. Two people who had physical contact with the animal received medical evaluation and treatment, according to a statement from the Grand Canyon National Park.
What People Are Saying
Luis E. Escobar, a professor of fish and wildlife conservation at Virginia Tech, told Newsweek: "Public health officials in the region are concerned about the occurrence of this hantavirus outbreak at this time of the year. Evidence suggests that hantavirus outbreaks in humans follow an increase in abundance of rodents. Future steps should aim to determine if rodent populations are increasing in the region and the reason of this increase. Extreme weather events and climatic anomalies have been linked to increases in rodent populations, followed by increase in hantavirus cases. Warmer winters and increased rainfall can lead to larger rodent populations, while drier conditions can create contaminated dust, thereby increasing the risk of human transmission."
He added: "Climate change can alter the epidemiology of hantavirus by causing rodent populations to increase or shift their location. This leads to more frequent contact between rodents and humans. We have evidence that suggests that changes in weather with the consequent changes in rodent populations and hantavirus prevalence may be predictable months in advance. In the hantavirus system, the observation of human cases is only the tip of the iceberg of complex processes involving wildlife and their environment."
Steven Bradfute, a professor in the University of New Mexico Center for Global Health, told Newsweek: "The major concern with hantaviruses in the U.S. is that there are no approved drugs to treat infections and no vaccines to prevent them. The virus is highly lethal—about 35 percent of people infected die. Early symptoms of hantavirus infection are similar to the flu, so many infected people don't know they have the virus until later in infection. Early detection of infection is key, so that doctors can start supportive care and monitor progression of disease to see if procedures are necessary to help heart and lung function."
He added: "It is really important for people to know to avoid disturbing areas where there are rodent infestations. Many infections occur when people are working or cleaning up in areas where there are rodent droppings. When this happens, the virus gets aerosolized and infects the blood vessels in the lungs. The primary carrier of the main hantavirus in North America is thought to be the western deer mouse, but our group has recently shown that several different types of rodents in the wild can carry and shed live hantavirus, so it is important to be careful wherever you see rodent infestations."
Coconino County Health and Human Services told Newsweek: "CCHHS conducts surveillance for diseases endemic to Northern Arizona including hantavirus, plague, West Nile virus and rabies to rapidly detect disease, understand its spread, and implement measures to protect the public. CCHHS also works with partner organizations, including Grand Canyon National Park, to ensure they have information regarding hantavirus transmission, symptoms, and prevention measures and access to resources and guidance on developing and implementing effective exposure control programs."
**Arizona Department of Health Services told Newsweek: "**Hantavirus is spread by breathing in infected particles from mice, especially deer mice, urine or droppings, as well as through direct contact with wild infected mice. The main precaution to take in preventing hantavirus is reducing exposure to rodents and rodent habitats. Contact public health and seek medical care if you are experiencing signs of hantavirus after possible exposure to areas with rodents or rodent droppings.
"ADHS conducts public health surveillance of hantavirus cases in collaboration with local county and tribal jurisdictions similar to other reportable infectious diseases in Arizona. We provide resources for case investigation, such as our investigation protocol and factsheet. We also promote prevention tips and measures in collaboration with local jurisdictions."
The CDC says on its website: "People should avoid contact with rodent urine, droppings, saliva, and nesting materials. If mice or rats are in or around your home, it's important to clean up after them safely. Rodent control is the primary strategy for preventing hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS), a disease caused by infection with certain hantaviruses. Wild rodents near human populations should be controlled and excluded from homes."
The Nevada Office of State Epidemiology says on its website: "In the U.S., deer mice, cotton rats, rice rats, and the white-footed mouse can carry the hantavirus disease. These rodents spread the virus in their urine, droppings, and saliva. People mainly get the virus from breathing in contaminated air such as when cleaning sheds, barns, or garages where infected rodents are found."
What Happens Next
Public health authorities in Arizona are actively monitoring rodent populations and potential hantavirus cases, and the Grand Canyon National Park continues to adhere to a number of protocols regarding hantavirus safety.
Update 7/9/25, 11:17 a.m. ET: This article has been updated with comment from Luis E. Escobar.
Update 7/10/25, 2:57 a.m. ET: This article has been updated with comment from a Coconino County Health and Human Services spokesperson and Steven Bradfute.
Update 7/14/25, 4:14 a.m. ET: This article has been updated with comment from an Arizona Department of Health Services spokesperson.
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