Virus Cited in Call for National Park’s Closure

Channel Islands National Park should immediately be closed until federal officials can design a more effective system for warning visitors about a potentially deadly virus that infects mice at the popular tourist destination, Rep. Elton Gallegly (R-Simi Valley) said Tuesday.

The call for action came after an unidentified 7-year-old Oxnard boy was found playing with a deer mouse on Santa Rosa Island that later tested positive for hanta virus antibodies. That means the mouse either had the disease or was exposed to it.

According to recent studies, the virus infects as many as seven in 10 rodents on several of the islands in the national park. It can cause a rare but often fatal disease in people, although none of the 60,000 tourists who visit each year have become ill.

While the National Park Service says the that boy has not shown any signs of infection, Gallegly said the incident underlines the potential for disaster.

A spokeswoman for the Channel Islands National Park said much is already being done to warn visitors about potential health risks, including the posting of signs at every island. In fact, spokeswoman Carol Spears said the Park Service’s information campaign brought the incident to light.

The boy played with the baby mouse during the Memorial Day holiday and wanted to keep it as a pet, Spears said. He even gave the mouse a name, Squeaky. After reading signs about the disease at the island campground, the boy’s mother brought the mouse to the Park Service and asked that it be tested for hanta virus, Spears said.