Infection with hantavirus can progress to Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS),
which can be fatal. People become infected through contact with
hantavirus-infected rodents or their urine and droppings. The Sin Nombre
hantavirus, first recognized in 1993, is one of several New World
hantaviruses circulating in the US. Old World hantaviruses, found in
Asia, can cause Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome (HFRS). Rodent control
in and around the home remains the primary strategy for preventing
hantavirus infection. All cases of Hantavirus infection are reported to
and researched by the Viral Special Pathogens Branch (VSPB) .
Hantavirus is carried by rodents,
especially deer mice. 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 come in contact with 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.
Hantavirus does not spread between humans.
Rodents
carrying the hantavirus have been found in many U.S. national parks.
Campers and hikers may be more likely to catch the disease than most
people. This is because they pitch tents on the forest floor and lay
their sleeping bags down in musty cabins.
However, only a couple
of cases have been directly linked to camping or hiking. Most people who
are exposed to the virus have come in contact with rodent droppings in
their own homes.
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