from hantavirus, according to Wyoming Department of Health officials.

CHEYENNE - A Carbon County man appears to have died this week from hantavirus, according to Wyoming Department of Health officials.

It's the seventh reported case of hantavirus in Wyoming since 2000, the agency said in a press release this morning. Preliminary test results point to the virus as the cause of the man's death.

Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome is transmitted to humans most commonly through aerosolization, which happens when dried materials contaminated by rodent urine and feces or saliva are disturbed. Humans can become infected by breathing in these aerosols or when the virus is directly introduced into broken skin or mucous membranes, is ingested or after rodent bites.

"While it's been relatively rare in Wyoming, it can unfortunately be deadly. Nearly half of the reported cases have been fatal," said Clay Van Houten, chief of the emerging diseases section in the Wyoming Department of Health's preventive health and safety division.

In Wyoming, the deer mouse is the primary carrier of hantavirus. Infected rodents shed the virus through urine, droppings and saliva. Rodent infestation in and around the home and in outbuildings such as barns remains the primary risk for exposure.

"It is almost impossible to predict who will come down with hantavirus infection, but any activity that puts you in contact with rodent urine, droppings, saliva or nesting materials can place you at risk for infection," said Dr. Tracy Murphy, state epidemiologist with the Wyoming Department of Health. "Even healthy individuals are at risk for HPS infection if exposed to the virus. So everyone needs to be aware of the risk of hantavirus and take precautions."