Prevention and Control Information
What Is Hantavirus?
Hantavirus is a rare but deadly disease that humans catch from infected rodents. About 35% of the people who contract the virus die from it. Hantavirus can infect anyone, knowing about the virus and ways to prevent catching it can help protect you. Hantavirus is an airborne disease. The infection occurs when airborne virus particles from rodent droppings are inhaled. The virus does not spread from person to person.
In the western United States, deer mice are the main carriers of hantavirus. The disease does not affect the mice themselves. In San Diego County, deer mice are mostly found in rural areas, the desert and the mountains. Avoid contact with all wild rodents, because they may also carry other diseases.
Mice that commonly live with humans are house mice, not deer mice, and do not carry hantavirus.
Symptoms Of Hantavirus
When infection occurs, symptoms may appear 1 to 6 weeks after exposure to rodents or their droppings. Beginning symptoms include:
- Severe muscle aches
- Chills and fever
- Headache or dizziness
- Difficulty breathing or coughing
- Respiratory problems or failure
- Nausea, vomiting, or stomach pain
- Low blood pressure
People experiencing these symptoms should contact their doctor immediately.
Risky Activities
Certain activities can put people at more risk for hantavirus:
- Dry sweeping or using air blowers to clean structures that are not often used
- Working in barns or out-buildings
- Living in rodent-infested areas
- Occupying places that have been empty for a long time
- Using bare hands to handle grain that could be polluted with rodent droppings
- Hiking or camping in rodent-infested areas
Prevention
There are several ways of preventing hantavirus infections. Personal protection measures listed below will help lower exposure to airborne particles when cleaning up rodent droppings.
- Do not vacuum, sweep or dust
- Air out unused rooms or buildings that have been empty for a long period of time for 30 minutes by opening doors and windows
- Use wet cleaning methods:
- Make a disinfectant solution (9 parts water to 1 part bleach) or use a store-bought disinfectant and follow the label instructions
- Spray the disinfectant solution on polluted areas and let it sit for 15-20 minutes before cleaning
- Soak sponges in the disinfectant solution and then clean
- Place all cleaning materials in a sealed plastic bag and throw them away immediately
- Always wear latex or rubber gloves
- Spray dead rodents or droppings with disinfectants before removing
- Place dead rodents and their nesting material in a sealed plastic bag before throwing them away
- After cleaning, wash your gloved hands, remove the gloves and dispose of them, and then wash your bare hands as well
Protect Your Home
One of the best ways of preventing exposure to hantavirus is to stop rodents from entering homes or cabins.
- Seal all holes large enough for mice to get in (dime-size or larger)
- Cover or pick up pet food dishes when they are not in use
- Store pet food in sealed containers
- Cover all trash cans with rodent-proof lids
- Use mouse traps where there is evidence of mouse activity
- Remove woodpiles, old cars, trash and debris where rodents may live
- Store hay or firewood at least 100 feet away from buildings
- Cut grass, weeds and trim bushes within 100 feet of buildings
If you have paper or delicate materials that you think may have come in contact with hantavirus, you can place them in the sunlight for several hours to kill the virus particles or move them to a rodent free area for several days.
Treatment
There is no treatment or vaccine for hantavirus. Medical care can help reduce the symptoms while the infected person is recovering.
Printable Hantavirus Brochure
Cockroach and Mice Control In Apartments
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