Public Urged to Take Precautions to Avoid Hantavirus
June 4, 2008 - Denver - With the return of summer,
state health officials again are warning Coloradans in rural
parts of the state to avoid hantavirus exposure while
cleaning cabins, buildings, sheds and barns that may have
been closed up for winter.
Hantavirus is a serious respiratory disease carried by deer
mice that are common to rural areas throughout the state.
The virus can infect humans who inhale dirt and dust
contaminated with deer mice urine and feces, when working in
or cleaning out rodent-infested structures.
Two more hantavirus pulmonary syndrome cases in the state
were confirmed last week, according to John Pape, a Colorado
Department of Public Health and Environment epidemiologist
who specializes in animal-related diseases. “We are up to
four reported cases in 2008, including one fatality,” he
said.
The two recent cases occurred in Dolores and Delta counties
on the Western Slope. Both patients were hospitalized but
are recovering. Local health officials, in coordination with
the department, are conducting investigations into how each
individual was exposed to the disease. Historically, most
hantavirus cases in Colorado are due to people being exposed
to the disease in and around their homes.
Two other cases were reported earlier this year, one in
Kiowa County in February and the other in Fremont County in
early May. The person from Kiowa County did not survive.
Pape urged people to be particularly careful where there are
mouse droppings and evidence that mice have been in and
around the buildings or nearby wood or junk piles. A large,
rapid increase in the number of mice around a home often
precedes a human hantavirus case and should be considered a
red flag.
“This year’s heavy snowpack has provided moisture for ample
vegetation that provides food for rodents, and often results
in a large jump in both mouse populations and infection
rates,” said Pape. “May, June and July are the months when
most of our human cases occur. Before people begin cleaning
structures that have been closed up all winter, they need to
take precautions if there are accumulations of mouse
droppings and other signs of mice.”
PRECAUTIONS
Rodent proof buildings by plugging holes or other mouse
entryways. Conduct year-round rodent control, using traps or
poisons, or hire a professional exterminator.
Make home or work areas uninviting to rodents by keeping
indoor areas clean, especially kitchens. Dispose of garbage
in sealed containers.
Eliminate food sources by storing food in rodent-proof
containers, including food for pets, livestock and birds.
Remove rodent hiding places near the home such as wood, junk
and brush piles. Store firewood at least 100 feet from the
house. Keep vegetation around the house well-trimmed.
Use special precautions when cleaning rodent infested
structures. Open doors or windows to provide good
ventilation for 30 to 60 minutes before cleaning out
structures. Avoid stirring up dust by watering down areas of
mouse infestation with a mixture of bleach and water.
If live mice still are occupying a structure, rodent control
should be done before extensive cleaning efforts. The
structures should be thoroughly ventilated and any
accumulation of dust, dirt and mouse droppings should be
sprayed with a mixture of bleach and water before any
cleaning begins. “Just vacuuming an area without first
wetting it down doesn’t provide the necessary protection,”
Pape emphasized.
“If you are living in rural areas and have deer mice around,
you can assume there is some risk of exposure to this
virus,” said Pape.
“The more live mice that are present, the greater the risk.
However, some people have been infected by directly handling
a single mouse.”
HANTAVIRUS SYMPTOMS
Hantavirus - which is deadly in nearly half of the cases -
begins with high fever, severe body aches, headache and
vomiting. The onset of these symptoms begins from one week
to six weeks after exposure.
Initially, there are no respiratory symptoms present.
Symptoms such as a runny nose, sneezing, sinus congestion
and a cough that produces phlegm are not associated with
hantavirus infection. However, within one to five days, the
illness quickly progresses to respiratory distress,
including a dry cough and difficulty breathing caused by the
lungs filling with fluid.
Because no effective treatment exists for the disease, Pape
emphasized prevention as the key to avoiding hantavirus.
“When hantavirus infection is suspected or confirmed, early
admission to a hospital where careful monitoring, treatment
of symptoms and supportive therapy can be provided is most
important,” he said. “If you become ill with these symptoms,
it is important to tell your physician about possible
exposures to deer mice or rodent-infested environments.”
DEER MOUSE DESCRIPTION
Deer mice are brown on top and white underneath. They have
large ears relative to their head size. House mice on the
other hand are all gray and have small ears. These small,
gray house mice commonly found in urban areas do not carry
the disease.
A photograph of a deer mouse can be viewed and downloaded at
http://www.cdphe.state.co.us/dc/zoonosis/hanta/index.html
For more information about hantavirus, call 303-692-2700.
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