She narrowly survived hantavirus 30 years ago. Here’s what it was like.

kAmpE E96 286 @7 d[ |@?E:6= 925 76=E D:4< 7@C 23@FE 2 H66<[ C:89E 2C@F?5 w2==@H66?] $96V5 366? G@>:E:?8 7C6BF6?E=J 2?5 925 235@>:?2= A2:?] pE 7:CDE[ 96C 5@4E@C E@=5 96C 72>:=J :E H2D ;FDE E96 7=F] qFE 2D 96C DJ>AE@>D H@CD6?65 2?5 E96 2?E:3:@E:4D D96V5 366? AC6D4C:365 5:5?VE 5@ >F49[ :E 3642>6 4=62C D@>6E9:?8 6=D6 H2D 8@:?8 @?]k^Am

kAm|@?E:6=VD A2C6?ED 6G6?EF2==J E@@< 96C E@ 2 9@DA:E2= H96C6 2 5:776C6?E 5@4E@C 7:8FC65 @FE E96 ECFE9i |@?E:6= 925 92?E2G:CFD — 2?5 ?66565 E@ 86E E@ 2 49:=5C6?VD 9@DA:E2= 7@C DFAA@CE:G6 42C6 2?5 4=@D6 >@?:E@C:?8[ :>>65:2E6=J]k^Am

kAm|@?E:6= D2JD 96C >@E96C DE:==D 4C:6D E9:?<:?8 23@FE 96C 92CC@H:?8 6IA6C:6?46 H:E9 92?E2G:CFD[ H9:49[ 244@C5:?8 E@ E96 r6?E6CD @7 s:D62D6 r@?EC@= 2?5 !C6G6?E:@?[ 42? 92G6 2 72E2=:EJ C2E6 FA E@ bgT[ 56A6?5:?8 @? E96 EJA6 @7 DJ?5C@>6 42FD65 3J :E] pE E96 E:>6 @7 96C :?764E:@?[ |@?E:6= D2JD @?6 @7 96C 5@4E@CD C6>2C<65 E92E D96 H2D E96 J@F?86DE A2E:6?E E96JV5 D66? J6E DFCG:G6 E96 G:CFD]k^Am

kAmQ|J >@> E6==D >6 E92E D96 C6>6>36CD[ H96? E96J 5:5 D6?5 >6 E@ E96 2>3F=2?46[ E92E D96 H2D =6EE:?8 >6 <?@H E92E[ V(6VC6 8@:?8 E@ D66 J@F[ 3FE E96C6VD 2 A@DD:3:=:EJ E92E J@F >:89E H2<6 FA 2?5 36 :? 962G6?[VQ |@?E:6= D2JD] Qp?5 x H2D =:<6[ V~z[ E92EVD 7:?6] xV> 7:?6 H:E9 E92E] x H2?E E@ 8@ E@ 962G6?]VQk^Am

kAm}@H bg[ |@?E:6= D2JD :EVD 366? DFCC62= H2E49:?8 E96 =:EE=6\<?@H? G:CFD E92E 2=>@DE E@@< 96C =:76 E9C66 564256D 28@ >2<6 :?E6C?2E:@?2= 9625=:?6D @G6C E96 A2DE H66<[ 2D 2 5625=J 92?E2G:CFD @FE3C62< @? 2 4CF:D6 D9:A 92D DE@<65 762C 2C@F?5 E96 H@C=5] qJ D92C:?8 96C @H? DE@CJ[ |@?E:6= 9@A6D D96 42? 96=A @E96CD 3@E9 F?56CDE2?5 E96 8C2G:EJ @7 2 92?E2G:CFD :?764E:@?[ H9:=6 <66A:?8 2?I:6EJ 23@FE 72C\C6249:?8 DAC625 :? A6CDA64E:G6] x? 2 |2J f >65:2 3C:67:?8[ E96 (@C=5 w62=E9 ~C82?:K2E:@? D2:5 E92E QH9:=6 E9:D :D 2 D6C:@FD :?4:56?E[ (w~ 2DD6DD6D E96 AF3=:4 962=E9 C:D< 2D =@H]Qk^Am

kAmQ(96? x 42F89E :E[ ?@3@5J 6=D6 :? >J 72>:=J 42F89E :E[Q |@?E:6= D2JD] Q%96C6VD ?@3@5J 6=D6 :? >J ?6:893@C9@@5 E92E 42F89E :E] $@ x E9:?< x H2D ;FDE G6CJ F?=F4<J]Qk^Am

k9amkDA2? 4=2DDlQAC:?E0EC:>Qm$96 E9@F89E :E H2D ;FDE E96 7=F] xE H2D 92?E2G:CFD]k^DA2?mk^9am

kAm|@?E:6=VD A2C6?ED C62=:K65 D@>6E9:?8 H2D D6C:@FD=J 2>:DD H96? E96:C 52F89E6C 925 DF49 D6G6C6 72E:8F6[ D96 4@F=5 ?@ =@?86C H2=<] %96J E@@< 96C E@ >@C6 5@4E@CD[ 3FE E96J 2== >2:?E2:?65 :E H2D ;FDE E96 7=F] ~?6 ?:89E[ |@?E:6=VD >@E96C 2H@<6 E@ 7:?5 96C 52F89E6CVD 365D966ED C65 H:E9 3=@@5 — 2 C6DF=E @7 96>@CC928:?8 2?5 3=@@5J 5:2CC962[ 42FD65 3J E96 G:CFD]k^Am

kAm!6C E96 rsr[ E96C6VD DE:== ?@ EC62E>6?E 7@C 92?E2G:CFD] (96? |@?E:6= 925 :E[ 5@4E@CD 4@F=5 @?=J AC@G:56 DFAA@CE:G6 42C6[ 2D 96C 3@5J 6:E96C 7@F89E @77 E96 G:CFD[ @C DF44F>365 E@ :E] %92?<7F==J[ D96 7@F89E :E @77[ 3FE :E H2D?VE 62DJ]k^Am

kAmw6C 3@5J H2D DH@==6?] $96 925 2 A2:?7F= C2D9] xE E@@< 2 H66< @7 9@DA:E2=:K2E:@? 367@C6 D96 7:?2==J 76=E ?@C>2= 282:?] s@4E@CD E@=5 96C 72>:=J E96J 4@F=5?VE 36=:6G6 D96 DFCG:G65]k^Am

kAmQ|J >@> D2:5 E92E E96 5@4E@C 6?565 FA 4CJ:?8 367@C6 x =67E[ 3642FD6 96 H2D =:<6[ V*@FVC6 2 >:C24=6] |:C24=6D 92AA6? 6G6CJ 52J[ 2?5 J@F 2C6 2 >:C24=6[VQ |@?E:6= D2JD]k^Am

kAm%9:CEJ J62CD =2E6C[ E96 D925@H @7 92?E2G:CFD DE:== =@@>D @G6C |@?E:6=VD =:76] xE 82G6 96C 2 A9@3:2 @7 G@>:E:?8] xE 2=D@ 82G6 96C 962=E9 2?I:6EJ — 2 =:?86C:?8 5C625 E92E[ @?6 52J[ 6:E96C E96 92?E2G:CFD[ @C D@>6 @E96C 5625=J A2E9@86?[ H:== :?764E 96C 282:?]k^Am

kAmQtG6? 2D 2 49:=5[ x H2D 2=H2JD 27C2:5 :E H2D 8@:?8 E@ 4@>6 324< @C E92E x H2D 8@:?8 E@ 5:6 3J `_\J62CD\@=5[Q D96 D2JD] Qx ;FDE H2D 2=H2JD 27C2:5 E92E[ 3642FD6 x H6?E E9C@F89 E92E[ x H2D?VE DFAA@D65 E@ >2<6 :E] $@ x H2D ;FDE H2:E:?8 7@C D@>6E9:?8 325 E@ 92AA6?[ 3642FD6 x <?6H[ V~z[ J@F H6C6 DFAA@D65 E@ 5:6 5FC:?8 E92E E:>6]VQk^Am

k9amkDA2? 4=2DDlQAC:?E0EC:>Qm%96 762C @7 92?E2G:CFD =:?86CDk^DA2?mk^9am

kAm|@?E:6= :D?VE E@E2==J DFC6 9@H D96 42F89E 92?E2G:CFD[ H9:49 :D AC:>2C:=J 4@?EC24E65 G:2 6IA@DFC6 E@ E96 FC:?6[ 5C@AA:?8D @C D2=:G2 @7 C@56?ED] $96 E9:?<D D96 =:<6=J 8@E :E A=2J:?8 :? E96 324<J2C5]k^Am

kAmQpE E96 9@DA:E2=[ >J >@>[ D96 925 ?@ :562 H92E E9:D G:CFD H2D[Q |@?E:6= D2JD] Q$96 925 ?6G6C 962C5 @7 :E] $@ D96 H2D =:<6[ VxV> 2=H2JD D@ 42C67F= @7 E96 <:5D] (92E 5:5 x 5@ HC@?8nV p?5 E96J E@=5 96C[ V*@F 5:5 ?@E9:?8 HC@?8] %9:D :D D@>6E9:?8 E92EVD DAC625 E9C@F89 C@56?ED]V p?5 H6 H6C6 @FED:56 2== E96 E:>6[ 2?5 H6 =:G6 :? 2? 2C62 H96C6 E96C6VD 2 =@E @7 H:=5=:76 2?5 ?2EFC6 <:?5 @7 4=@D6 E@ E96 9:==D]Qk^Am

kAm$:I J62CD 27E6C E96 @?D6E @7 r~'xs\`h[ D@>6 @? D@4:2= >65:2 92G6 =:<6?65 92?E2G:CFD E@ E96 4@C@?2G:CFD[ DA64F=2E:?8 E92E :E E@@ >2J 42FD6 2 A2?56>:4] sC] |2C:2 '2? z6C<9@G6[ 5:C64E@C @7 E96 (w~’D s6A2CE>6?E @7 tA:56>:4 2?5 !2?56>:4 |2?286>6?E[ D2:5 E92E :D?VE 8@:?8 E@ 92AA6?] “%9:D :D ?@E E96 DE2CE @7 2? 6A:56>:4[Q D96 DE2E65 :? 2 C646?E 92?E2G:CFD 3C:67:?8] Q%9:D :D ?@E E96 DE2CE @7 2 A2?56>:4]Qk^Am

kAm|@?E:6= 36=:6G6D E92EVD ECF6[ E9@F89 D96 F?56CDE2?5D H9J D@>6 92G6 2?I:6EJ 2C@F?5 92?E2G:CFD]k^Am

kAmQxEVD D@ DFCC62=[ 3642FD6 8C@H:?8 FA[ x H2?E65 E@ =62C? >@C6 23@FE E96 92?E2G:CFD[Q D96 D2JD] Q%@ D66 A6@A=6 E2=<:?8 23@FE :E[ :EVD ;FDE D@ DEC2?86] xEVD =:<6 xV> :? 2?@E96C 5:>6?D:@? @C D@>6E9:?8] x ;FDE 42?VE 36=:6G6 :EVD :? 9625=:?6D[ 3642FD6 :EVD DF49 2 C2C6 G:CFD]Qk^Am