Sin Nombre virus does not impair respiratory function of wild deer mice

Deer mice are the primary host for Sin Nombre virus, a recently discovered hantavirus, that causes the near abolition of lung function in humans. Sin Nombre virus infects the lungs of deer mice, but its physiological effects on deer mice are poorly known. We tested whether the virus affects respiratory function of deer mice by comparing maximal aerobic capacities of 10 mice with antibodies against the virus to those of 40 mice lacking antibodies against the virus. We conducted the test at high elevation (3,800 m) where the reduced partial pressure of oxygen makes detection of pulmonary impairment more likely than at sea level. The maximal aerobic capacities of the two groups did not differ. This suggests that the virus does nor negatively affect the respiratory function of deer mice.