Local diagnosed with hantavirus

Dr. Rick Johnson, Mono County Public Health Officer, announced on Thursday that a local resident of Mammoth Lakes has been hospitalized with a laboratory confirmed hantavirus pulmonary infection. The individual had been sick with a flu-like illness for about 5 days, and after presenting to Mammoth Hospital last Sunday, was quickly flown to Reno, Nev. In the last few days, Johnson said there has been significant improvement in their health, which he called “encouraging.” Investigation into the source of the exposure is ongoing, carried out cooperatively by the Mono County Health Department and the California Department of Public Health, Vector-Borne Disease Section.

Since there have been no reports of influenza in recent weeks, hantavirus needs to be considered in anyone with a serious “influenza-like illness,” which includes fever, body and muscle aches, headache, cough or respiratory difficulty.
Since 1993, when the disease was first recognized in the United States, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has documented more than 40 cases in California, many of these in the Eastern Sierra.
Turner installs propane reserves

Turner Propane issued a statement late last week, announcing it has begun construction on a backup propane storage facility.

“Turner recognized the need for more reserve storage approximately 4 years ago and started the process to identify a location to develop a new facility to accommodate the needs of the Town of Mammoth Lakes in terms of reserve storage and vaporization capacity,” the company said. With cooperation from the Forest Service and the Town of Mammoth Lakes, construction began on June 1.

The site, located on Sherwin Creek Road in the area commonly known as the “gravel pit,” will allow for additional storage and vaporization capacity to provide assurance that gas service will not be interrupted as a result of road closures or other natural disasters, which prevent the supply of propane from being replenished when we need it most. The site is designed for four 30,000 gallon tanks and should provide a three-day reserve supply of propane at build-out of the facility.

Turner reps say the site when completed will be landscaped and “provide the assurance that propane will be available when we need it most.”