School Cancels Trip for Fear of Virus

Oak Hills Elementary School is the latest to cancel a field trip to the Channel Islands out of concern about students contracting a strain of the deadly hanta virus.

Though no humans have caught the disease after a visit or even living on one of the islands, school officials say they don’t want to take a chance considering the increased numbers of deer mice and other rodents carrying the disease.

“We just didn’t feel we wanted to put our children at an unnecessary risk,” said Tony Knight, Oak Hills’ principal. “If there is a large mouse population, if a lot of those mice have that virus and you are on the island, there is no reason to enter into that risk.”

Hanta virus is spread by the urine, saliva or feces of deer mice and other rodents and can been contracted by either breathing in the dust or direct contact. The life-threatening illness causes flu-like symptoms, including fever, fatigue, muscle aches, cough, headaches and vomiting.

U.S. National Park Service officials say several schools have canceled their trips to the islands, which attract about 700,000 visitors annually. Carol Spears, a Channel Islands National Park spokeswoman, said misunderstanding and media reports--rather than facts--have fueled the cancellations.

“It’s a real shame that it is happening,” Spears said. “The risk to people visiting the island is very, very low and is essentially the same as people on the mainland.”

Spears said wherever there are mice, there is the possibility of contracting hanta virus. Someone would have to be in an enclosed area, with lots of mouse droppings or airborne particles, to be at risk, she said. Students could be more at risk in their schools if mice are present, she said.

“We are going to watch this really closely, and as soon as we get the green light we will take this class next year,” Knight said. “It’s a major wonderful trip. I love it. It’s a wonderful adventure.”