By Miriam Raftery

County News Service contributed to this report

March 12,2025 (San Diego) -- An autopsy has determined that actor Gene Hackman’s wife, Betsy Arakawa, died of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome. The disease linked to exposure to rodents is rare, often fatal, and has been detected in nine rodents so far this year in San Diego County.

By County News Center, County of San Diego Communications Office

January 18, 2024 (San Diego) -- A Western Harvest mouse collected from the open space area on the eastern side of Mission Trails has tested positive for the potentially deadly hantavirus.

Finding hantavirus in wild rodents is not uncommon in San Diego County, there were a total of 17 cases in 2023. However, people rarely come into direct contact with infected animals because wild rodents naturally avoid humans.

While exposure to hantavirus is rare, people should be careful around wild rodents as there is no cure or vaccine for hantavirus.

Symptoms of hantavirus usually develop between 1-8 weeks after exposure and include:

East County News Service

Information and photo courtesy of County News Service

February 8, 2023 (Campo) -- A deer mouse collected from an open nature area in Campo during routine monitoring has tested positive for the potentially deadly hantavirus.

This is the first case confirmed this year in San Diego County. Finding hantavirus in wild rodents is not uncommon in San Diego County, last year there were 11 cases locally.

By Gig Conaughton, County of San Diego Communications Office

August 26, 2021 (Mount Laguna) - Five deer mice and one brush mouse collected in routine monitoring in the Mount Laguna area have tested positive for hantavirus, County environmental health officials said this week.

By Gig Conaughton, County of San Diego Communications Office

Photo:  a California mouse

July 2, 2020 (Campo) - Four wild mice collected in routine monitoring in open space in the Campo area have tested positive for hantavirus.

County officials are reminding people they should never sweep or vacuum up after rodents if they find them in living spaces like homes, garages, sheds and cabins, but instead use “wet-cleaning” methods.

By Gig Conaughton, County of San Diego Communications Office

Photo:  Brush mouse, Peromyscus boylii

October 3, 2019 (Julian) - A brush mouse collected in routine monitoring in Julian has tested positive for the potentially deadly hantavirus, prompting County officials to remind people to never sweep or vacuum up after rodents if they find them in their living spaces.

By Gig Conaughton, County of San Diego Communications Office

March 26, 2019 (Boulevard) - Three deer mice collected in routine monitoring in Boulevard have tested positive for the potentially deadly hantavirus, County Vector Control said this week.

County officials said it is not uncommon to find hantavirus in wild mice throughout the county, but it is generally unlikely for people to come into contact with hantavirus if they keep wild rodents out of their homes, sheds, garages and workplaces.

By Gig Connaughton, County of San Diego Communications Office

January 19, 2017 (Jamul) - Three wild deer mice caught in routine trapping in a rural area in Jamul have tested positive this week for hantavirus — the first to test positive for the potentially deadly virus in San Diego County in 2017.

County Urges Residents to Use Caution When Cleaning Up Rodent Droppings;

Video Provides Tips for Homeowners

January 20, 2011 (Alpine) -- A wild deer mouse trapped in Alpine during routine monitoring has tested positive for the potentially deadly hantavirus, San Diego County vector control officials said today.