A member of the U.S. Armed Forces on temporary assignment at Fort Bliss has died of hantavirus at Beaumont Army Medical Center and may have contracted the virus while training in New Mexico, the El Paso Times reported Saturday and Sunday on its Web site.

The soldier, whose name was not released due to privacy regulations, died about two weeks ago, but his death was not announced until last Friday, the Times reported.

Fort Bliss officials said it isn't known where the soldier contracted the virus, which is spread by infected rodents, but the Times said the finger of suspicion is being pointed at New Mexico, where 27 people have died of the hantavirus since 1993.

Base officials said precautions are being taken to ensure the safety of base personnel, including the cleaning of buildings that house troops at Fort Bliss training areas, the Times reported.

Among those training areas are the McGregor, Dona Ana and Orogrande Army Ranges, all in New Mexico, Fort Bliss spokeswoman Jean Offutt told the Times.

"This hantavirus is in 24 to 30 states, and service people travel all over the place," Offutt told the paper.

All told, there have been 66 hantavirus cases in New Mexico since 1993, the most recent being a McKinley County woman who was diagnosed with hantavirus pulmonary syndrome earlier this month, the New Mexico Department of Health told the Times.

Paul Ettestad, New Mexico's public health veterinarian, has warned that hantavirus is present in the state and precautions need to be taken to avoid rodents and their droppings.

Only one case has been reported in Dona Ana County and one in Otero County between 1975 and 2006, New Mexico health officials told the paper.

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