Hantavirus causes death of Saskatchewan resident

A Saskatchewan resident has died after contracting hantavirus, the health ministry says.

Officials said it's the province's first fatal case of hantavirus in 2014.

The death occurred in an adult from thesouthern part of the province, the ministry said.No other details about the victim were immediately available.

The virus is transmitted by breathing in contaminated airborne particles from the droppings, urine and saliva of infected deer mice.

There have been 27 reported cases of Saskatchewan people getting sick from hantavirus since 1994. In nine cases, death resulted.

The average number of cases per year ranges from zero to four.