Tag: Hantavirus

Arkansas Man’s In-Game Threat Over Hantavirus Lockdown Fears Lands Him Behind Bars After Unexpected FBI Tip

Posted on by Priyakshi Sharma

A 20-year-old man from Arkansas has been arrested for allegedly threatening to carry out a mass shooting at his local Walmart if the country were to go into a lockdown due to the hantavirus outbreak, much like the one during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Police arrested Aaron Keith Bynum from his Oakland residence on Friday, May 15, states a press release from the Marion County Sheriff’s Office. 

As stated, on Saturday, May 9, the National Threat Operations Center (NTOC) at the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) received an electronic tip (E-tip) from an anonymous individual who reported an alleged shooting threat made by a player during an online multiplayer game. 

The tipster also shared the player’s username and an in-game recording, showing the moment the threat was made. However, it is not yet clear if the alleged threat was made verbally or typed out in a chatroom. 

On Monday, May 11, a subpoena was issued to the game’s parent company, which then identified Bynum as the owner of the gaming account mentioned in the tip. 

Two days later, on May 13, the FBI Fayetteville Field Office contacted the Marion County Sheriff’s Office. The office then passed the information to the Criminal Investigation Division (CID), the news release states. 

On May 14, detectives with the Sheriff’s Office issued and received a search warrant for Bynum’s residence. They also obtained a probable cause affidavit for his arrest. 

On Friday, May 15, investigators searched the residence and seized a computer and computer accessories from the scene. “BYNUM was taken into custody without incident and transported to the Marion County Detention Center (MCDC), where he was booked and processed,” the press release said. 

Police charged Bynum with one count of first-degree terroristic threatening, a class D felony, and one count of harassing communications, which is a class A misdemeanor. He also got a $2,500 bond. 

The ongoing hantavirus outbreak originated aboard the MV Hondius, a cruise ship traveling in the South Atlantic Ocean, after people began reporting severe respiratory illnesses. 

Two weeks after visiting a landfill in Argentina with his wife, Patient Zero, an ornithologist, died on board. The wife and a third person also passed away subsequently. Health experts suspect they contracted the rare Andes virus while visiting the landfill. 

According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, the rare Andes strain of the hantavirus can be “spread from person to person through prolonged, close contact. The Andes virus is also spread through exposure to infected rodent urine, saliva, or feces. Secondary infections among healthcare workers have been documented in healthcare settings when infection prevention and control measures were not implemented or followed.”

Regular strains of the hantavirus cannot be transmitted between people. The early symptoms of hantavirus infection, which can develop one to six weeks after exposure, include fever, fatigue, muscle aches, headache, nausea, vomiting, and gastrointestinal symptoms. 

Additional symptoms reportedly appearing four to 10 days after the initial illness include cough, shortness of breath, chest tightness, and rapid respiratory deterioration.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is currently monitoring 41 people for possible infection. Most of these people were passengers on the MV Hondius. A few others took international flights with a symptomatic traveler from the cruise. 

Early reports of the outbreak caused much panic. However, public health officials have said it is not yet a major concern. 

Public health officials have also said that the risk to the United States is extremely low at this time. J. Lee Jenkins, MD, said, “The chance for broad spread in the U.S. is extremely unlikely.”

 

California Death Alert — Rare Virus That Killed Actor Gene Hackman’s Wife Leads To 3 More Deaths

Posted on by Sohini Sengupta

Three Mammoth Lakes residents have died from Gene Hackman’s wife’s hantavirus pulmonary syndrome since early February, reported California health officials on Thursday. The latest case was a young adult, and it only added to the concern caused by this rare and virulent outbreak in the tight-knit community in the Eastern Sierra mountain area.

Mono County’s health chief, Dr. Tom Boo, was deeply troubled by a recent turn of events, describing it as both “tragic” and “alarming.” Typically, hantavirus cases begin to appear later in the season, during spring and throughout the summer.

But this year alone, three individuals have already come down with the disease, something that has him seriously concerned. “The occurrence of three cases in a short period has me worried, especially this early in the year,” he released to the public in a statement. And for the most recent individual to have contracted it, they’re still attempting to discover exactly how.

Hantavirus is a very rare disease that typically spreads from rodents, especially deer mice, to humans. It may occur if one unknowingly inhales fragments of dust containing the virus from infected rodent droppings, urine, or saliva.

The CDC says that the disease begins with signs such as getting a fever, feeling extremely exhausted, and sore muscles. If it is not detected and treated early, it can cause a severe lung disorder called hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS).

Dr. Boo talked about a recent case. There weren’t any clear signs of mice at the sick person’s house. However, they did find “some mice” where the person worked. The doctor also said, “We haven’t identified any other activities in the weeks before illness that would have increased this person’s exposure.”

This, along with people hearing about it earlier than usual and seeing more mice around, has some folks in the area worried that more people could be at risk of getting the disease.

The outbreak of a rare illness occurred shortly after the sad news of Betsy Arakawa’s passing. She was the wife of well-known movie star Gene Hackman. Betsy and Gene were discovered in their home in Santa Fe on February 26th. What they discovered was that she had an extremely critical condition known as hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, which is what resulted in her death.

Gene Hackman, being 94 years old, also tested negative for this disease. Instead, his body was diagnosed with issues related to his blood vessels and heart, which resulted in his death. He had Alzheimer’s, too, which would have contributed to his illness.

Even though these recent events with Gene and Betsy happened around the same time, the people in charge want to make it clear that the three new cases of people dying in Mammoth Lakes are not connected to them.

The news of Gene Hackman’s wife passing away has made more people aware of the virus again, though. It’s a disease that doesn’t affect a lot of people in the US each year, but it’s always there. Local officials are a bit worried about the odd timing of some recent cases and have noticed that there are more deer mice around the Eastern Sierra than usual.

According to Boo, “Mouse activity indoors is not uncommon this time of year, but we believe the risk is higher than usual.”

The way these cases are grouped, without any obvious shared risks like poor airflow or not cleaning up after mice properly, has everyone on their toes. “We’ve now gone about a month without any additional suspect cases,” Boo added, “but remain concerned about the increase in activity.”

Since no new infections have been found since the start of March, the folks in charge of public health are telling people to be extra careful. They suggest fixing up your homes, so mice can’t get in, not sweeping up their droppings because it can spread the sickness through the air, and using cleaning products to wipe down areas where you think mice have been before you start cleaning.

The California health departments are still attempting to discover what is happening with the Mammoth Lakes cases. Meanwhile, residents are reminded to remain vigilant, particularly now that the weather is warming, and they may start to notice more mice.