The La Plata County man who died April 6 of hantavirus was identified Monday as Thaddeus Conan Stahl, a 36-year-old resident of Hesperus, said La Plata County Coroner Jann Smith.
Stahl started feeling symptoms Friday, checked into Mercy Regional Medical Center about 3:30 p.m. April 4 and died about 5:50 a.m. April 6, Smith said.
Stahl is survived by two children and his wife, Kristy, according to an obituary published Thursday in The Durango Herald. Stahl grew up in the Hesperus area and graduated from Durango High School. He began working at Williams Energy in early 2000, according to the obituary.
The family declined to comment for this story.
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment confirmed Friday that a La Plata County resident died after becoming infected with hantavirus – a rare but often deadly disease carried by deer mice. It is the second confirmed case of hantavirus in the state this year. In both 2015 cases, the disease was fatal.
Public-health officials have not released details about the circumstances under which Stahl became infected. Smith said an autopsy has been completed, but the results of the toxicology reports are pending.
Hantavirus is largely a rural virus carried by rodents that is spread to humans through droppings. People are typically exposed when they go into places such as cabins or wood piles, stirring up rodent nests.
There is no cure for hantavirus.
To prevent infection, residents should ventilate areas that might be infested with mice for a week before cleaning, ensure they’re exposed to virus-killing sunlight and soak anything that needs cleaning with a bleach mixture or a household disinfectant for at least 10 minutes, said Jennifer House, state public-health veterinarian.
After that, clean up the mixture while wearing gloves and a mask, she said.
Symptoms typically start one to six weeks after exposure with fever, body aches, headache and vomiting.
