Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment confirms hantavirus case

On Friday, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment confirmed a fatal case of hantavirus in the state.

An adult in Douglas County who contracted the disease has died.

The CDPHE said the Sin Nombre hantavirus occurs regularly in Colorado, particularly during the spring and summer, and is often spread by deer mice. The respiratory disease can cause severe symptoms and sometimes become deadly.

CDPHE officials said the case is not linked to the recent outbreak on the MV Hondius cruise ship. 

They advised residents to avoid exposure to rodents' urine, feces, saliva and nesting materials.

The department is working to identify the source of the exposure and believes it was spread by local exposure to rodents. They assured residents that the risk to the general public remains low.