Public health experts are warning people to be on the lookout for animal droppings in hotels that could signal they are at risk of contracting a deadly disease after a California man was found dead in his room from hantavirus.

Rodrigo Becerra, 26, died of the mice-borne infection after allegedly being exposed to mice feces at his job as a bellman at a hotel in Mammoth Lakes, California. 

According to his sister Mariela Becerra, the young skier, who lived in the hotel’s employee housing, had been sick for two weeks before texting her on March 5 to say he had been feeling ‘like death’. 

He went to the local Mammoth Hospital but was sent home the same day with antibiotics. A day later, on March 6, paramedics found him on the floor of his apartment not breathing and without a pulse.

His death has now been confirmed to be caused by hantavirus – a rare but severe respiratory illness spread through exposure to rodent droppings – the same disease that led to Gene Hackman’s wife’s death.

Dr Tom Boo, Mono County Public Health Officer said in a statement on April 3: ‘We don’t have a clear sense of where this young adult may have contracted the virus. The home had no evidence of mouse activity. 

‘We observed some mice in the workplace, which is not unusual for indoor spaces this time of year in Mammoth Lakes. We haven’t identified any other activities in the weeks before illness that would have increased this person’s exposure to mice or their droppings.’

Rodrigo’s death makes him the third person to die from the rodent virus in Mono County.

Rodrigo Becerra, 26, mysteriously died of hantavirus due to alleged exposure to mice droppings at his place of work on March 6

Mariela later told SFGate: ‘They didn’t think that anything was bad enough to admit him or keep him overnight, but for him to pass away the very next morning is frustrating.’

The coroner’s report noted a chest X-ray ‘showed a little abnormality in his left lung, but the heart appeared normal.’

In the US, hantavirus can cause hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) while in Europe and Asia, it can cause hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome. 

Victims can develop hantavirus from contact with rodents like rats and mice, especially when exposed to their urine, droppings or saliva. 

At times, it can also spread through a bite or scratch by a rodent. 

The virus was first identified in South Korea in 1978 when researchers isolated the virus from a field mouse. 

Hantavirus and its associated hantavirus pulmonary syndrome are exceedingly rare in the United States, with only 864 known cases as of 2022, according to the latest data available by the CDC and less than 50 cases reported annually.

Only one to two people die every year of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome in the US. 

This is partly because the US has fewer rodent species than Asian countries. Hantaviruses in the US primarily circulate in fewer rodent species compared to Asia and Europe, where multiple rodent species act as hosts. 

Due to its rarity, doctors do not fully understand how the syndrome progresses, but it starts with flu-like symptoms such as fever, body aches and dry cough, appearing within one to eight weeks after contact with an infected rodent. 

Victims can develop hantavirus from contact with rodents like rats and mice, especially when exposed to their urine, droppings and saliva

Rodrigo’s death makes him the third person who has died from rodent virus in Mono County

These then can rapidly progress to lung tissue damage, lung fluid buildup and even heart failure. 

It’s not clear how Becerra contracted the deadly disease, but officials said they ‘observed some mice in the workplace.’ However, other officials said they weren’t concerned with the amount of rodent droppings observed. 

David Andrews, the director of health and safety for Mammoth Mountain Ski Area later confirmed to SFGate that they found some rodent droppings in the area where Becerra worked. 

‘A very small amount of rodent droppings were found in the bell area and behind the front desk, very near the front entrance… The trace amounts found weren’t concerning to health officials.’

He added there is ‘no concern about workplace exposure… for employees or guests.’

A GoFundMe has since been launched by Mariela to raise funds to cover ‘immediate expenses related to his unexpected passing.’

The fundraiser read: ‘Those of us who were blessed enough to know my little brother knew that he was an adventurer at heart, always seeking out new experiences and embracing life with a fearless spirit.   

‘His love for nature, exploration and his zest for life inspired everyone around him.’