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Showing posts with the label Yosemite national park

Hanta in the Yosemite

The title would make all sense if it were 'Hanta in the Serengeti' but Yosemite definitely has a lot more chill effect going for it. I am refering to the recent deaths of a couple of park visitors to the Yosemite National Park in east California. This is one of my most beloved park for a variety of reasons not the least of which is its drivable in under 4 hours and offers dramatic vistas that take your breath away. The deaths in question (actually in the park) were a result of a fatal (to the US) infection from the rare HANTAVIRUS carried by rodents. They must have transmitted this deadly virus to these visitors as they slept in the tents that they rented. Details were sketchy. What the headline proclaimed was around 1700 visitors are likely affected. I remember hearing of this particular germ when we lived in Hawaii many moons ago. We were friends with an epidemiologist at the Univ of Hawaii whose specialty was life threatening viruses like HIV and Hanta. These are al...