New Mexico health officials say a 28-year-old McKinley County man is the third person in the state to die from Hantavirus this year.
The Department of Health says there have been a total of six Hantavirus cases in the state this year. Those include a 49-year-old Otero County man who remains hospitalized but whose condition is improving.
Hantavirus is a deadly disease transmitted by infected rodents through urine, droppings or saliva.
The deer mouse is the main carrier of the strain found in New Mexico, and the department says it's important to seal homes and other structures during cold weather because mice may try to enter buildings for food or shelter.
The other fatal New Mexico cases involved a 67-year-old San Juan County woman and a 59-year-old McKinley County man.
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