Hantavirus is a potentially life-threatening disease transmitted to humans by rodents-primarily, the white-footed deer mouse. People become infected through exposure or inhalation of infected rodent urine, droppings or saliva, and the chances increase when people are near spaces where rodents are actively living.
Last year, ten people fell ill and three died from exposure to deer mice infected with Hantavirus after staying in tent cabins at Yosemite National Park.
Early symptoms of the disease include fatigue, fever and muscle aches, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC. People may also experience headaches, dizziness, chills and abdominal problems. Also known as the "Black Death", the Plague is a highly contagious and often deadly disease notorious for killing one-third of the European population during the Middle Ages. Plague is usually spread by the bite of an infected rodent flea and can cause fever, headache and painfully swollen lymph nodes.
A Colorado girl was infected with the Plague in after falling ill during a camping trip. Salmonellosis is a type of food poisoning spread by rodent feces, especially through the consumption of contaminated food.
Wet down dead rodents and areas where rodents have been with alcohol, household disinfectants or bleach. This kills the virus and helps prevent infected dust from being stirred up into the air. Once everything is wet, use a damp towel to pick up the contaminated material. Then mop or sponge the area with disinfectant. Take special precautions, such as wearing a respirator, when cleaning buildings with heavy rodent infestations.
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This content does not have an Arabic version. Overview Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome is an infectious disease characterized by flu-like symptoms that can progress rapidly to potentially life-threatening breathing problems.
Request an Appointment at Mayo Clinic. Share on: Facebook Twitter. Show references Ferri FF. Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome. In: Ferri's Clinical Advisor The virus is found in their urine and feces, but it does not make the animal sick. It is believed that humans can get sick with this virus if they breathe in contaminated dust from mice nests or droppings. You may come in contact with such dust when cleaning homes, sheds, or other enclosed areas that have been empty for a long time.
People with hantavirus may begin to feel better for a very short time. But within 1 to 2 days, it becomes hard to breathe. The disease gets worse quickly. Symptoms include:. Hantavirus is a serious infection that gets worse quickly. Lung failure can occur and may lead to death. Even with aggressive treatment, more than one half of people who have this disease in their lungs die.
Call your provider if you develop flu-like symptoms after you come in contact with rodent droppings or rodent urine, or dust that is contaminated with these substances. If you must work in an area where contact with rodent urine or feces is possible, follow these recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC :. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Updated September 19, Store hay on pallets, and use traps or rodenticide continuously to keep hay free of rodents.
Do not leave pet food in feeding dishes. Dispose of garbage and trash in rodent-proof containers that are elevated at least 12 inches off the ground. Haul away trash, abandoned vehicles, discarded tires, and other items that may serve as rodent nesting sites. Cut grass, brush, and dense shrubbery within feet of the home. Place spring-loaded traps at likely spots for rodent shelter within feet around the home, and use continuously.
Clean-up Procedures Any area where you see rodent activity such as dead rodents or rodent droppings feces and urine should be thoroughly cleaned. Use wet mopping or wet cleaning methods to carefully remove rodent droppings feces and urine from occupied buildings. Avoid creating dust or aerosol from rodent droppings feces and urine.
Wet with disinfectant before cleaning, and use wet mopping or cleaning techniques. Do not use a vacuum cleaner or a broom because they will create airborne particles and dust.
Wear rubber gloves, long-sleeved clothing, and a dust mask. Always wash hands with soap and warm water afterward. Use 3 tablespoons of household chlorine bleach to a gallon of water as a disinfectant. You may also use Lysol or other cleaners that say disinfectant on the label and have phenol on the list of ingredients. Apply the disinfectant to the mouse droppings feces and urine and all areas where rodents have been at least 30 minutes before cleanup to give it a chance to work.
Dispose of droppings feces by burial in double plastic bags. If droppings have been treated properly with a sanitizer, they can be double bagged and disposed in the regular trash bin. Do not touch dead rodents. Wet dead rodents and rodent nests with disinfectant, allowing at least 30 minutes for disinfectant to work before removing. Dispose of rodent bodies by either picking them up with a tool and placing in a double plastic bag, which is then sealed or placing hand into a double plastic bag, picking up rodents, then reversing the bag back over the rodents and sealing.
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