A 2019 peer-reviewed study examining rodent populations in the Amargosa River valley found virtually no evidence of hantavirus circulation in Tecopa Hot Springs and Shoshone — a surprising result given that the same virus was detected at very high levels in Death Valley National Park during the same period.
The study, conducted between 2011 and 2016 and published in April 2019, compared disease prevalence in local rodent species to data collected by the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), which had previously discovered 40 percent Sin Nombre virus (SNV) antibody prevalence in cactus mice in Death Valley.
On the Amargosa side of the mountains, the picture was dramatically different.
One Positive Test Out of 192 Rodents
Researchers tested 192 rodents from 11 wetland habitats in Tecopa and Shoshone. Only one harvest mouse showed antibodies indicating past exposure to a hantavirus — likely from El Moro Canyon virus, which infects harvest mice but is not known to cause human disease.
No deer mice or cactus mice — the primary reservoirs for Sin Nombre virus, the strain responsible for hantavirus pulmonary syndrome — tested positive.
Every tissue sample, including those collected from community residences, tested negative for active infection using molecular testing.
A Tale of Two Valleys
The authors titled their paper “A Tale of Two Valleys” to highlight the stark contrast between the two regions. Despite being separated by just a narrow range, Tecopa and Shoshone showed nearly zero exposure, while Death Valley displayed one of the highest known local concentrations of SNV in cactus mice.
The study suggests that the fragmented marsh habitats of the Amargosa Basin, combined with extremely small and isolated rodent populations, may prevent the virus from persisting.
Good News for Public Health — and the Amargosa Vole
For residents and visitors, the findings provide strong evidence that local human risk was extremely low during the study period.
The results also offer reassurance for the endangered Amargosa vole, which showed no signs of hantavirus exposure. Because hantavirus infection can reduce rodent survival and reproduction, the lack of exposure is “good news for conservation,” the authors write.
Still, Vigilance Is Needed
Even with these encouraging results, researchers warn that future risks cannot be dismissed. Rodents can move between habitat patches, and the nearby high-prevalence population in Death Valley could reintroduce the virus. Environmental changes — including rainfall cycles and vegetation shifts — may also affect disease dynamics.
Long-term wildlife surveillance is recommended.
A Rare Look at Desert Ecology
The study highlights the distinct ecosystem of the Amargosa Basin, where even neighboring valleys can have sharply different disease patterns. It also underscores the importance of continued scientific monitoring in remote rural areas that often lack robust public health infrastructure.
For now, one message is clear: as of the years studied, there was no evidence of hantavirus circulating in Tecopa or Shoshone.
Source: A Tale of Two Valleys: Disparity in Sin Nombre Virus Antibody Reactivity Between Neighboring Mojave Desert Communities. 2019
Pesapane, Risa; Enge, Barryett; Roy, Austin; Kelley, Rebecca; Mabry, Karen; Trainor, Brian C; Clifford, Deana; Foley, Janet, et al.
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