Diné College in Shiprock is partnering with the Center for
Disease and Control, based in Atlanta, Ga. The team will combat
the spread of the hantavirus, a sometimes fatal virus that is
most common in the Four Corners region. "The Four Corners has
always had a lot of cases," said Dr. Pierre Rollin, chief of the
CDC's Viral Special Pathogens Branch. More than half of all
cases reported in the United States are in or near the Four
Corners area. Since the nation's first outbreak in 1993, 34
states have had confirmed reports of the virus, and New Mexico
has had the most cases with 91. Colorado and Arizona are the
closet followers with 79 and 66, respectively. The virus is much
more common in the west, where most states have had more than a
dozen cases of the hantavirus reported. Most states in the east
have had fewer than a dozen cases, if any. The virus is spread
by rodents carrying the virus. People usually get the virus
after coming in contact with those rodents or their urine,
droppings or nesting materials. O