COCONINO COUNTY, Ariz. — Coconino County has reported its first case of the hantavirus since 2016.
The county said Friday that three human cases of the virus carried through rodents have been reported over the last 15 months and two have turned fatal.
On a statewide level, Arizona's reported seven cases and three fatalities of the hantavirus over the last six months.
The virus is contracted by humans through airborne transmission of viral droplets spread through handling materials contaminated with rodent urine, feces or saliva. Hantavirus cannot spread between humans, county officials said.
Fever, headache and breathing problems are symptoms often associated with the hantavirus infection.
The hantavirus can be present in many areas throughout the country's southwestern region.
Coconino County advises rodent-proofing your home and disinfecting areas contaminated by rodent droppings.
More information about the hantavirus can be found here.
UP TO SPEED
What is the Valley?:
“The Valley” is what locals call the Phoenix Metropolitan Area. It is considered the largest metropolitan area in the Southwest.
The Valley is made up of various major cities other than Phoenix, including:
- Mesa
- Chandler
- Scottsdale
- Tempe
- Glendale
- Surprise
- Peoria
- Gilbert
- El Mirage
- Avondale
- Litchfield Park
- Goodyear
- Buckeye
Whether a city is in the “East Valley” or “West Valley” depends on where it is in relation to Phoenix.
The cities of the Valley have a combined population of 4,845,832 people, according to the 2020 United States Census. This makes it the 11th largest metropolitan area in the country right behind the Boston and Atlanta areas.
How big is Maricopa County?
Maricopa County is the United States’ 4th largest county in terms of population with 4,485,414 people, according to the 2020 Census.
The county contains around 63% of Arizona’s population and is 9,224 square miles. That makes the county larger than seven U.S. states (Rhode Island, Delaware, Connecticut, Hawaii, New Jersey, Massachusetts and New Hampshire).
One of the largest park systems in the nation is also located in Maricopa County. The county has an estimated 120,000 acres of open space parks that includes hundreds of miles of trails, nature centers and campgrounds.
The county’s seat is located in Phoenix, which is also the state capital and the census-designated 5th most populous city in the United States.
The county was named after the Maricopa, or Piipaash, Native American Tribe.
