A Santa Fe resident has been hospitalized after contracting hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, marking the first case of the year 2026. The disease, which is fatal in about a third of its victims, is usually found in the form of deer mice. From 1975 to 2025, New Mexico recorded 142 cases of hantvirus with 55 deaths. The state's public health veterinarian has urged New Mexicans to take preventive measures when cleaning areas where rodents may be.