Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome cluster among visitors to Curry Village in Yosemite National Park during summer 2012. Traced to deer mouse infestation in double-walled signature tent cabins.
Between June and October 2012, ten visitors to Yosemite National Park developed hantavirus pulmonary syndrome after staying in the "Signature" tent cabins at Curry Village (now known as Half Dome Village). Three patients died. The cabins, intended as upscale lodging, had double-walled construction with insulation between the walls that provided ideal habitat for deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus) and trapped aerosolized rodent excreta within the living space [1].
Sin Nombre virus, the etiologic agent of HPS in North America, was identified by PCR from patient samples. Investigators from the California Department of Public Health and CDC documented heavy deer mouse infestation in the tent cabin double walls. The full case series and environmental investigation was published in the CDC's Emerging Infectious Diseases journal in March 2014 [1].
Yosemite National Park closed the 91 affected signature tent cabins permanently. The National Park Service notified more than 22,000 visitors who had stayed at Curry Village during the exposure period to inform them of potential exposure and monitor for symptoms [1]. The outbreak prompted significant changes in National Park Service rodent control protocols and reinforced existing CDC guidance for cleaning rodent-contaminated structures.