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Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome Fact Sheet

Cause:

Hantavirus (Sin Nombre virus), in the bunyaviridae family of viruses.

Occurrence in Animals:

Wild rodents (cotton and rice rats (in the Southeast), the white-footed mouse (in the Northeast), but particularly deer mice (Peromyscus spp) in Virginia and West Virginia.

Source of Infection in Animals:

Infected wild rodents shed the virus through urine, droppings, and saliva. HPS is transmitted to humans through a process called aerosolization. Aerosolization occurs when dried materials contaminated by rodent excreta or saliva are disturbed. Humans become infected by breathing in these infectious aerosols.

Transmission:

Contact with fresh rodent urine, droppings, saliva or nesting materials.

Observable Signs of Infection:

Animals:

 

  • Asymptomatic (no outward visible signs of illness).

 

Humans:

 

  • Flu-like symptoms (fever, chills, muscle ache, headache).

  • Can lead to respiratory failure (Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome) and death

  • In addition to the cardio-pulmonary syndrome, some humans have a renal syndrome.

Precautions

  • Good personal hygiene

    • WASH HANDS after handling animals or nest materials

    • No eating, drinking, smoking, etc., around animals or their environments
       
  • Hantavirus can persist for a few days in the environments.

  • Wear gloves and facemask when working with rodents or in potentially contaminated areas.

  • If employees/students develop fever or respiratory illness after exposure to wild rodents (up to 6 weeks), they should immediately seek medical attention.

  • Sin Nombre (hanta) virus is not associated with commercial laboratory mice or ordinary household mice.

  • If employees work with wild rodents or laboratory reared colonies of deer mice, specific precautions must be adopted as determined by EHSS.

 

Reference:

Additional Information: