Updated at 8:12 a.m. ET:
A third person has died from the rare, rodent-carried hantavirus after visiting Yosemite National Park, bringing the total number of infected persons to eight and prompting warnings that the virus is not contained to just one area of the park, health officials said.
Yosemite National Park doubled the scope of its warning on Thursday to some 22,000 visitors who may have been exposed to the deadly mouse-borne disease.
U.S. officials had recently sounded a worldwide alert, saying that up to 10,000 people were thought to be at risk of contracting Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) after staying at "Signature Tents" at the Curry Village lodging area between June and August
DNC Parks and Resorts via AP
Officials are expanding their efforts to notify visitors to a complex of tent cabins at Yosemite National Park who may have been exposed to a rare but potentially deadly rodent-carried virus.
On Thursday, it was revealed that the virus is not confined to Curry Village, according to a statement from the park.
One of the infected campers, who exhibited mild symptoms and is recovering, stayed in multiple High Sierra Camps in Yosemite in July.
The five High Sierra Camps are similar to the Curry Village tent cabins, but they're spaced about six to 10 miles apart and are accessible only via backpacking trails at higher elevation than Yosemite Valley.
US officials sound worldwide alert for Yosemite hantavirus
The other seven cases have all been connected to the historic Curry Village tent cabins, which were recently been closed to the public.
No cure
It can take up to six weeks for symptoms of the virus to show, though they usually appear two to four weeks after exposure. Early stage symptoms include fatigue, fever and body aches, and can rapidly progress to severe difficulty breathing....
http://vitals.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/09/07/13719926-yosemite-doubles-scope-of-hantavirus-warning-to-22000-third-death-confirmed?lite
