Tips offered for preventing hantavirus this spring
Spring is the season for cleaning, and the Wyoming Department of Health (WDH) wants to remind everyone to pay close attention when cleaning sheds, cabins and other buildings where mice and other rodents might be, as stirring up dust in these locations could release hantavirus into the air.
An April 8 WDH press release notes hantavirus is transmitted by infected rodents through fresh urine, droppings or saliva and spreads to individuals when they breathe in air contaminated with it. It can also be transmitted by touching one’s nose and/or mouth after handling contaminated material.
Other ways for possible transmission include an infected rodent bite and touching objects or eating food contaminated with rodent urine, droppings or saliva from an infected rodent.
WDH encourages residents to take steps to help prevent hantavirus, a rare but potentially deadly disease spread by infected deer mice which can cause Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS), a severe respiratory disease in humans caused by infection with hantaviruses.
“As spring arrives and people begin cleaning cabins, sheds, garages, old vehicles and other outbuildings that may have been closed up during winter months, they should be aware of hantavirus risks and practice safe rodent cleanup,” states Courtney Tillman, WDH infectious disease epidemiologist.
“People can catch hantavirus through the droppings, urine or saliva of infected mice,” Tillman adds. “People breathe in the virus when dust is stirred up, making cleaning activities such as sweeping and vacuuming particularly risky where there are signs of mice. It’s important to know how to clean up rodent-infested areas to avoid exposure to hantavirus.”
Hantavirus can cause symptoms including tiredness, fever, muscle pain, diarrhea and coughing.
“Anyone with these symptoms after a potential rodent exposure should contact a healthcare provider quickly,” states the WDH. “Four to 10 days after the initial phase of illness, symptoms progress to shortness of breath as the lungs fill with fluid. HPS can be fatal, and the mortality rate is 38 percent.”
While there is no specific treatment for hantavirus, those infected receive supportive care such as hydration and other symptom treatments.
Hantavirus prevention
The best way to prevent HPS, as well as other rodent-borne diseases, is by keeping mice and rats out of the home and cleaning up after rodents the right way, reports the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
According to the CDC website, individuals should maintain inside areas to keep mice and rats out by tightly sealing any gaps or holes, as mice can fit through a space as small as the width of a pencil.
“Keep food sealed in thick plastic, metal or glass containers with tight lids. Clean up spilled food right away, and wash dishes and cooking utensils right after use,” states the CDC website. “Another important way to keep rodents out of the house is to put pet food away after use, and do not leave food or water bowls out overnight.”
Placing garbage in thick plastic or metal containers with tight lids will also reduce the risk of a rodent infestations, and cleaning up garbage around the house will help detour rodents away from the home, mentions the CDC.
The organization says composting bins should be 100 feet from the house, brush and weeds around the home should be removed and grass and shrubbery within 100 feet of the home should be well trimmed.
The CDC also suggests keeping grains and animal feed in thick plastic or metal containers with tight lids, to move woodpiles 100 feet or more from a home and to raise wood at least one foot off of the ground.
Cleaning outbuildings
The CDC advises, before cleaning an area, individuals should take specific precautions and use disinfectants.
Suitable options include a general purpose household disinfectant or a bleach solution made by mixing one and a half cups of household bleach with one gallon of water.
It is recommended to prepare the bleach solution fresh before each use. Additionally, individuals should wear rubber or plastic gloves while cleaning.
For homes or buildings with a significant rodent infestation, extra precautions should be taken.
After cleaning the affected areas, it is recommended to wash gloved hands with soap and water or apply a disinfectant to the gloves before removing them.
Prior to cleaning, the CDC suggests opening all doors and windows for 30 minutes and leaving the area during this time.
When cleaning up rodent urine, droppings, nests or dead mice or rats, it is important to use a cleaning disinfectant, mop the floors and/or spray dirt floors.
According to the CDC, items that cannot be washed can be left outdoors in direct sunlight for several hours or in an indoor area free of rodents for at least three weeks. However, it is strongly advised to extend this period to six weeks. After this time, any virus on the items is unlikely to be infectious.
Melissa Anderson is the editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.
