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The everyday places Americans could be exposed to hantavirus — without knowing it

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Amid the current hantavirus outbreak that started on the MV Hondius cruise ship as it sailed across the Atlantic, health experts are now examining whether Americans may be encountering the virus in everyday places without realizing it.

The rare Andes strain, which was linked to the MV Hondius outbreak, is the only known hantavirus that has the capability to spread from person to person, usually through prolonged close contact with an infected person.

Most cases of hantavirus in the U.S. occur in the desert southwest and on the west coast, according to Dr. Linda Yancey, an infectious disease specialist at Memorial Hermann in the Houston area.

ANDES VIRUS LINKED TO CRUISE SHIP DEATHS RAISES CONCERN OVER HUMAN-TO-HUMAN SPREAD

“In Texas, cases are mostly seen on the west side of the state,” she told Fox News Digital. “The strain of hantavirus native to east Texas and west Louisiana, the Bayou strain, is not as infectious in humans as the western strain, the Sin Nombre strain.”

Hantavirus is mainly spread through contact with infected rodents – primarily deer mice – and their urine, droppings or saliva, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

People can become infected after breathing in contaminated particles that are stirred into the air or touching contaminated surfaces and then touching their nose or mouth. More rarely, rodent bites can spread the virus.

HANTAVIRUS OUTBREAK TIMELINE HIGHLIGHTS KEY MOMENTS IN DEADLY CRUISE CRISIS

Exposure is most likely when cleaning enclosed or poorly ventilated areas where rodents may nest unnoticed for weeks or months, health officials say.

Risky locations can include garages, sheds, cabins, attics, barns and crawl spaces. Storage units, stables, kitchen cabinets, and spaces behind appliances if rodents are present.

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Rodents can also nest in unused cars, RVs, campers and boats, which can be sources of exposure when reopened.

The National Park Service says that most human cases of hantavirus occur in the spring and are linked to buildings that become heavily infested with rodents over the winter.

“Most people are exposed when cleaning out sheds and garages where rodents have been living,” Yancey confirmed. “You can be exposed by just the dust and droppings left behind by rodents – you don’t even need to even see the rodent to be exposed.”

The risk of inhalation is also higher when opening buildings that have gone unused for longer periods of time, sweeping dusty floors, or moving and unpacking boxes, experts cautioned.

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Rodent exposure is not limited to buildings. Health officials say people can also encounter hantavirus risk while handling firewood, working in rodent-prone outdoor areas, or disturbing rodent nests and burrows. 

To prevent infection, if cleaning a structure that might have harbored rodents, Yancey recommends wearing a mask and using a diluted bleach solution to wet down any dust or loose debris.

“This will help kill the exposed virus and reduce the amount of infectious dust,” Yancey said.

The CDC advises against vacuuming or sweeping rodent urine, droppings or nesting materials, as this can aerosolize the virus and increase the risk of inhalation.

Instead, health officials recommend wearing gloves, soaking rodent droppings with disinfectant, wiping them up with paper towels, properly disposing of waste and thoroughly cleaning surfaces, followed by careful handwashing.

Some signs of rodent activity can include droppings, shredded nesting materials, gnaw marks, strong musky odors and scratching sounds in the walls or ceilings, according to public health guidance.

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Dr. Marc Siegel, Fox News senior medical analyst, emphasized that hantavirus is not something that most Americans encounter in daily life, and is more prominent in certain parts of Europe and Asia.

“It is very rare in the U.S. and is seen out west, but rarely,” he told Fox News Digital. “We need to avoid overpersonalizing the risk of a very rare virus.”

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Trump touts ‘fantastic trade deals’ in final Xi meeting amid tariff standoff

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President Donald Trump touts an incredible visit and fantastic trade deals with China after his final meeting with Xi, as Beijing agrees to order 200 Boeing jets.
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Paul Finebaum roasts Lane Kiffin for recent comments: “Trying to wipe Ole Miss off the map”

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The world of college football is rarely dull. Even with the regular season a few months away from starting, this week has been full of drama.

And most of the most recent drama has been created by LSU Tigers head coach Lane Kiffin.

Kiffin, who’s no stranger to making headlines, made several comments that garnered attention in new interviews. The most contentious and controversial being some very pointed criticisms of Ole Miss, his former school.

Specifically Kiffin claimed Ole Miss would lose out on recruits because of supposed concerns over racial diversity on campus and in Oxford.

“‘Hey, coach, we really like you. But my grandparents aren’t letting me move to Oxford, Mississippi.’ That doesn’t come up when you say Baton Rouge, Louisiana,” Kiffin said to Vanity Fair. “Parents were sitting here this weekend saying the campus’s diversity feels so great: ‘It feels like there’s no segregation. And we want that for our kid because that’s the real world.'”

LANE KIFFIN TAKES SHOT AT OLE MISS, CITES RACISM IN RECRUITING GAP WITH LSU IN AWKWARD INTERVIEW

Reactions on social media were immediate and generally dismissive of Kiffin’s claims. And you can add one of the SEC’s biggest supporters to the list of those roasting him for bringing race into the Ole Miss discussion. Even at a new school.

ESPN’s Paul Finebaum, during a new episode of his “The Paul Finebaum Show,” went after Kiffin and had some thoughts on what motivated him to say what he did.

“An SEC coach at LSU is breaking big news in Vanity Fair,” Finebaum said. “Has to be shaking up Fifth Avenue right now. But it’s Lane Kiffin.

“The most important thing to factor in here, this wasn’t a slip of the tongue. I talked to the writer who did the Vanity Fair piece the other day, Curt [sic] Smith, he said he didn’t even ask Kiffin about the racism aspect, he just started rifting [sic]. This is Kiffin trying to wipe Ole Miss off the face of the Earth, he’s still very bitter at them, even though they’re the jilted lover. He’s bitter at them because they wouldn’t let him coach in the playoffs.

“And he has to recruit against them, he has to coach against them on September 19th, a game that will get a little bit of attention.”

Finebaum then took a minute to address Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian’s comments, which implied that Ole Miss has an advantage because it’s not a good academic school. “The Sarkisian thing is even more amazing. The fact that any coach is whining and complaining about anything … Steve Sarkisian makes about $12 million a year, and not one person on his roster is going to the University of Texas for their curriculum. They’re going for the money.”

OLE MISS PLAYERS PUSH BACK ON LANE KIFFIN’S CLAIM THAT TEAM ASKED AD TO LET HIM FINISH SEASON WITH REBELS

Paul Finebaum, not holding back. And he’s right.

Lane Kiffin is bitter, upset, whatever the adjective, that Ole Miss didn’t let him coach in the playoff after taking the LSU job. But he knew that was going to be the outcome if he decided to leave, and he left anyway. Kiffin then essentially proved Finebaum right in another interview with Wilson Alexander from On3.com.

ZERO BS. JUST DAKICH. TAKE THE DON’T @ ME PODCAST ON THE ROAD. DOWNLOAD NOW!

“Obviously, I wish the timing was different. There was no way around it,” he said. “Tried to do everything possible to still coach and, obviously, that was [athletic director Keith Carter’s] decision and understandable. Do I still wish that had happened? Yeah, I do. I wish that would have been allowed to happen. Maybe we would have won it all.”

That’s why he’s so upset. He believed Ole Miss had a chance to win a national championship. And he would have that on his résumé, winning a title, especially at a program like Ole Miss. But he has no one to blame but himself for missing out on that opportunity. Even if the LSU job is a better one in the long run.

And he’s right on Sarkisian too. Sark knows the Texas football team isn’t there for academics, or at least, the starters. If any coach is going to complain about putting together a roster, it shouldn’t be the head of arguably the richest program in the country. With a massive NIL budget, classic uniforms, a legendary stadium and history, and a gigantic, devoted fan base.

Credit where credit’s due, Finebaum didn’t pull any punches. Even though the target was based in his beloved SEC.

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Cedric Alexander becomes new TNA X Division champion, crushing Leon Slater’s history-making attempt

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All eyes were on the Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) X Division Championship on Thursday night as Leon Slater looked to retain the title over Cedric Alexander and solidify himself as the longest-reigning X Division champion in the company’s history.

Slater knew a legacy was on the line as he looked to break a record set by Austin Aries. But he needed to pin Alexander twice in one match to retain the title. It was a steep mountain to climb as Alexander had been just as dangerous since he entered the company.

The match started off hot with Slater and Alexander trading blows to begin the match. But a quick-thinking Slater rolled up Alexander quickly for the first fall.

Alexander was able to go on offense from there. He hit a nasty German suplex on the outside of the ring. He continued to work on Slater’s tweaked neck. He later hit a Lumbar Check to tie the match at 1-1.

Slater went deep into his bag. He hit an avalanche Styles Clash, which could have kept anyone else down. However, Alexander kicked out. Alexander was able to counter Slater’s high-flying abilities just for a moment and knocked him back out of the ring.

Alexander sent Slater into the steel steps, leaving him busted open. Alexander declared that he would be the “greatest” X Division champion. One brainbuster later, Alexander tried to pin Slater, but couldn’t get him down.

Alexander hit a Lumbar Check again, but Slater kicked out. Slater mustered up the last ounce of energy. A tilt-a-whirl slam set Alexander up for a swanton 450. Slater missed and Alexander hit another Lumbar Check, and then again.

Alexander pinned Slater for the win, completely shocking the fans in Sacramento, California. It will be the first reign for Alexander and his first title of any kind in TNA.

Alexander is a reminder, at least for TNA, that “The System always wins.”

ZERO BS. JUST DAKICH. TAKE THE DON’T @ ME PODCAST ON THE ROAD. DOWNLOAD NOW!

Moments before TNA went off the air, the lights went out in the Sacramento Memorial Auditorium. Emerging from the darkness was Fabian Aichner.

Aichner stared down Alexander and appeared to name himself the next challenger for the X Division Championship. Aichner, known as Giovanni Vinci for much of his run in WWE, hadn’t really been seen or heard from in months since his departure from WWE.

Aichner wrestled under his real name for a stint in WWE before he came back as Vinci in June 22. He was with WWE until 2025. He was a two-time NXT tag team champion and an Evolve champion before it became a WWE brand.

Eric Young outlasted nine other men in an over-the-top battle royal and earned a shot at Mike Santana’s TNA World Championship to start the show.

The match came down to him and Elijah after the latter was able to toss members of The System out of the ring while also avoiding Frankie Kazarian trying to get back into the match following his own elimination.

Young and Elijah came to blows on the apron, knowing that as soon as their feet touch the ground, they would be eliminated. Young grabbed onto Elijah’s hair to try to hang onto the moment. Elijah broke away with Young’s back turned to him. Elijah, however, didn’t account for his wide stance.

The TNA original kicked Elijah in the groin and pushed him down to the ground. Young won the match and received a shot to win the TNA World Championship in the future.

He also made clear that Santana was next on his list of people to wipe out as he did to Joe Hendry, EC3 and Ricky Sosa in weeks past.

“Mike Santana, you’re gone next,” he declared.

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Mike Santana came out to address the crowd and praised Young for his efforts to help build TNA from the ground up.

“You better be coming with something different because while you may be someone who helped build this place, when it comes to the new era of TNA on AMC, I’m the guy. I’m the man. I’m the one who holds down the fort week after week as your TNA world champion.”

While Young might have earned a title shot, Daria Rae came out and revealed to the crowd that Steve Maclin was cleared to return to action following an injury at the hands of Santana.

Maclin will get a shot at Santana’s TNA World Championship next week on “Impact.”

Santino Marella also came out during the segment after he was “suspended.” He revealed that Indi Harwell re-signed with TNA.

Lei Ying Lee brought the TNA Knockouts Championship back home last week with a win over Arianna Grace. She addressed the crowd before being interrupted by her former best friend, Xia Brookside.

In all black, Brookside claimed she was already in Lei’s head.

“You’re such a fraud. I’ve destroyed you mentally, I’ve destroyed you emotionally, I’ve destroyed you physically, and that title will be around my waist.”

Both competitors tossed expletives at each other before the segment was over. But Brookside made clear that she had her eyes on the title.

A.J. Francis told Fox News Digital before the SacTown Street Fight on “Impact” that he was going to bring the pain to Navarro.

While wearing “Show Stealer” across his back, Francis did just that. Francis took some punishment from Navarro – a few shots from a baseball bat and a drop kick with a trash can.

Francis was able to turn the tide for a few moments, using the baseball bat to his advantage. But Navarro dug deep. He aligned six chairs in the ring, hoping to splash Francis through it. Instead, Francis countered and attempted an avalanche Down Payment. Somehow, Navarro countered with a cutter as both men crashed through the sea of chairs.

It looked like it could’ve been it. Navarro went for the pin, but only got a two count.

Francis turned on the heat from there. He got ahold of Navarro and hit a Down Payment through tables lined up on the outside of the ring.

He rolled Navarro back into the ring and picked up the pinfall victory.

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