Virginia is one of three states that are hotspots for a deadly virus circulating in wildlife, and it can also be fatal in humans.
Hantavirus, the cause of death for Betsy Arakawa, the wife of actor Gene Hackman, is most prevalent in the Commonwealth, Colorado and Texas, according to Virginia Tech researchers.
Using National Science Foundation data, the published study identified 15 rodent species as carriers, including six species that had not previously been identified as hosts of the virus. The deer mouse and white-footed mouse are the more known hosts…