Taipei man dies of hantavirus; rodents near residence test positive: CDC

Taipei, Jan. 30 (CNA) An elderly man with underlying health conditions died in mid-January, eight days after the onset of symptoms, marking Taiwan's first hantavirus death this year, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said Friday.

The man, who was in his 70s and lived in Taipei's Da'an District, tested positive posthumously for hantavirus after passing away on Jan. 13 from sepsis complicated by multiple organ failure and pneumonia, the CDC said in a press release.

According to the CDC, the man sought treatment on Jan. 6 for respiratory issues and low blood pressure before returning two days later with gastrointestinal symptoms and a fever, leading to his admission to the intensive care unit shortly thereafter.

The case marked Taiwan's first confirmed hantavirus infection of the year, a figure consistent with the zero to one cases typically recorded during the same period over the past four years (2022-2025), bringing the total number of hantavirus cases in Taiwan to 44 since 2017, according to the CDC.

Following the fatality, local authorities conducted a screening near the man's residence, with two of the four specimens captured testing positive for hantavirus.

To mitigate the risk of transmission, Taipei City government's environmental teams conducted a disinfection sweep within a 200-meter radius of the man's residence and deployed specialized rodenticide to eliminate potential viral vectors.

Humans can contract the zoonotic disease by inhaling or touching dust and objects contaminated with rodent waste, such as droppings, urine, or saliva, or through the bite of an infected animal, according to the CDC.