Yosemite notifies 230,000 park guests of hantavirus risk

In this photo from Sunday Oct. 23, 2011, tents are seen in Curry Village in Yosemite National Park, Calif.

/ (AP Photo/Ben Margot)

(CBS News) Yosemite National Park has extended its hantavirus warnings to more than 230,000 people who stayed at the park overnight since early June.

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Last week, the park had announced three guests had died and five others were infected with by the rodent-borne illness that may cause potentially fatal pulmonary problems. Seven of the cases involved guests at the "Signature" cabins in the park's historic Curry Village section.

The California Department of Public Health said the other case involved someone who stayed in several High Sierra Camps in a different area of Yosemite in July.

In a Sept. 12 statement, officials from the National Park Service said they were releasing a letter amid receiving requests from concerned people who had stayed at the park. The park service said the letter was intended to raise awareness about the disease and let guests know where they can find more information on hantavirus.

In the letter, Yosemite National Park writes, "Your recent overnight visit to Yosemite did not include a stay in lodging where the known hantavirus infections might have occurred; however, we wanted to take this opportunity to increase public awareness about hantavirus. We are contacting you as the reservation holder and we ask you to share the following information with the rest of your party."

A copy of the letter was published Wednesday on the National Park Service's web site.

Infection with hantavirus from contact with infected rodent's feces or secretions - most often from deer mice - can lead to a dangerous infection known as hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS). Universal early symptoms include fatigue, fever and muscle aches while others may experience headaches, dizziness, chills and abdominal issues like vomiting and diarrhea.

Four to 10 days after infection, people may experience severe coughing and shortness of breath and the lungs can become filled with fluid. The disease kills about 38 percent of people who become infected, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Since the outbreak, the park has closed down 91 tents where most of the victims stayed, the CBS Evening News reported Tuesday.

Correspondent Bill Whitaker spoke to one of the survivors, Nicole Lapeyrade, who became ill with hantavirus after a July trip to Yosemite with her five children. Lapeyrade criticized the park's delayed response in giving warnings, saying she heard nothing from the park about the disease before the visit or after she reported the positive test. The park only issued warnings beginning two weeks ago.

"I'm disappointed about the park's lack of response," she said, "and the seemingly lack of concern for the public welfare," she said.

Kari Cobb, a Yosemite park ranger told the CBS Evening News that the park felt it took appropriate steps to notify individuals.

"It wasn't something that we posted in our most prevalent places," she said. "In the last 100 years, we've literally only had two cases aside from this cluster of eight. It wasn't something that Public Health thought was a major problem and it wasn't something that the park thought was a major problem."

(Watch Bill Whitaker's report below)

[nevadacobb]

My wife and I visited Yosemite August 23-25 and stayed in the tents at Curry Village and what we find very disturbing was the complete disregard for the health and safety of the guests with this outbreak. We were warned multiple times including signing an acknowledgement for the bears but NOTHING was said or given to us regarding the Hantavirus issue.
My wife and I found ourselves 10 days later in the emergency room both with flu type of symptoms and diagnosed with upper respiratory challenges. My wife was emitted for 3 days. I find myself waiting for the virus culture tests to come back for both of us which apparently takes longer then normal. The more I wait the more angry I get at the Yosemite parks dept and their operator for not giving us the choice to stay or not. The operator is certainly worried about the money they would lose over what they have clearly shown is not as big of a problem then the bears. BTW, how many people have died from bears getting into their food again? I continue to watch the national news reports regarding their attention to this issue but I am here to tell you that they gave no attention to the issue when we stayed.

[Henri_Rochard]

I stayed in Curry Village and one of the High Sierra camps a couple of weeks ago. I'm so scared that I made my reservations for next year.

As far as I'm concerned, the most dangerous part of my drive was the drive back and forth to the Park.

[eroteme2]

Yosemite notifies? This may result in more vulnerable park guests. A talking park is a rarity.

[cannuc]

The headline should read...."230K notified of possible Black plage connection"