Residents reminded to avoid hantavirus
San Juan Basin Health and state health officials warn Coloradans to avoid hantavirus exposure while cleaning cabins or other buildings that were closed for winter.
Hantavirus is a serious and potentially fatal respiratory disease carried by deer mice. When cleaning out rodent-infested structures, people can breathe in dirt and dust contaminated with deer mouse urine and feces and become infected.
People are urged to be careful where there is evidence mice have been in and around buildings, wood or junk piles. Ventilate structures before cleaning and spray any accumulation of dust, dirt and mouse droppings with a mixture of bleach and water (1 part bleach to 10 parts water).
Hantavirus normally begins with fever, body aches, headache and vomiting. The symptoms begin from one to six weeks after exposure. At first, there are no respiratory symptoms. However, the illness can quickly progress to respiratory distress within one to five days. People may have a dry cough and difficulty breathing caused by the lungs filling with fluid.
For more information, visit www.cdc.gov/hantavirus.
Blood Services to host blood drive
The United Blood Services will host these blood drives:
From 2:30 to 6 p.m. Tuesday at the First Presbyterian Church in Westminister Hall, 1159 East Third Ave.
From 9 a.m. to noon Wednesday in the Bloodmobile parked by Whalen Gym at Fort Lewis College.
From 4:30 to 8 p.m. Thursday in the gym of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Church, 1690 U.S. Highway 160B in Bayfield.
From 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. June 20 in the Bloodmobile parked at Allen Theaters, 1155 South Camino del Rio.
From 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. June 23 in the Vida Peabody Conference Room at the Sky Ute Casino Resort.
From 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. June 27 in the Bloodmobile parked at Mercury, 150 Mercury View Drive.
Donors can save time by completing an online health history questionnaire the same day as their blood donation.
For more information, call 385-4601 or visit www.unitedbloodservices.org.
Health Career Camp will take place at FLC
The Health Career Camp – organized and coordinated by the Southwest Colorado Area Health Education Center – will be held Wednesday, Thursday and Friday at Fort Lewis College.
Twenty-five students from across Southwest Colorado will learn about the possibilities of the various health fields available for them to pursue as a career. The camp will provide the opportunity to experience, hands-on, careers such as: general medicine, nursing, emergency medical technician, dentistry, veterinary medicine and more.
Herald Staff
