Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS) is a disease of the lungs passed by rodents to humans.  The disease is passed through the urine, feces and saliva of infected rodents through a process called aerosolization.  This process occurs when infected particles of dried rodent excrement or saliva become airborne and are then breathed by humans.  Mouse droppings are about the size of a grain of rice while rat droppings are about the size of a peanut.

When a person is infected with hantavirus the symptoms are flu like and then develop into difficulty breathing.  Rodents known to carry the hantavirus in the United States are the deer mouse, white-footed mouse, cotton and rice rates.  Other species may carry the virus but are known to carry it on a much smaller scale through general populations.

Rodent control in and around the home remains the primary control strategy to prevent hantavirus infection in humans.

Extermiman provides professional services to handle the prevention, cleanup and remediation of potentially infectious rodents.  If you would like a free consultation please contact us at 801-296-5960.

As my team was discussing this issue, Mike Weigle (Extermimans Lead Field Engineer) and myself (Carl Wilson) noticed the disparity in information presented by the Utah Health Department (Bureau of  Epidemiology) and the National Center for Infectious Disease concerning the use of protective gear suggestions to homeowners vs. professional service personnel, e.g., the use of respiratory materials and devices when cleaning up rodents and their excreta.

Link to Utah Department of Health (Bureau of Epidemiology)
http://health.utah.gov/epi/diseases/hantavirus/hanta.htm

Link to National Center for Infectious Disease (CDC)
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/hanta/hps/noframes/FAQ.htm
The suggestions from the CDC to the homeowner may also be found below on this page.

The following information and recommendations are from the National Center for Infectious Disease (CDC)

Do it yourself tips (DIY)

• Put on rubber, latex, vinyl or nitrile gloves.
• Do not stir up dust by vacuuming, sweeping, or any other means.
• Thoroughly wet contaminated areas with a bleach solution or household disinfectant.
  Hypochlorite (bleach) solution: Mix 1 and ½ cups of household bleach in 1 gallon of water.
• Once everything is wet, take up contaminated materials with damp towel and then mop or sponge the area with bleach solution or household disinfectant.
• Spray dead rodents with disinfectant and then double-bag along with all cleaning materials. Throw out rodent(s) in appropriate waste disposal system.
• Disinfect gloves with disinfectant or soap and water before taking them off.
• After taking off the clean gloves, thoroughly wash hands with soap and water (or use a waterless alcohol-based hand rub when soap is not available).
• *(Extermiman addition) We would recommend wearing at least some sort of filtered mask and if possible a HEPA filtered respiratory mask for the prevention of breathing airborne particles while cleaning since this is the primary method of transmission.  I can’t believe they missed this important recommendation.

May I use a vacuum with HEPA filter to clean up rodent-contaminated areas?
HEPA vacuums are not recommended since they blow air around and may create aerosols.

How do I clean papers, books, and delicate items?
Books, papers, and other items that cannot be cleaned with a liquid disinfectant or thrown away should be left outdoors in the sunlight for several hours or in an indoor area free of rodents for approximately 1 week before final cleaning. After that time, the virus should no longer be infectious. Wear rubber, latex, or vinyl gloves and wipe the items with a cloth moistened with disinfectant.

I do not want to bleach my clothes or stuffed animals; is there anything else I can do?
Wash clothing or stuffed animals in the washing machine using hot water and regular detergent. Laundry detergent can break down the virus’s lipid envelope, rendering it harmless. Machine dry laundry on a high setting or hang it to air dry in the sun. CDC does not recommend simply running the clothing through the dryer without washing first.

How do I clean rugs, carpets and upholstered furniture?
Disinfect carpets and upholstered furniture with a disinfectant or with a commercial-grade steam cleaner or shampoo.

What precautions should I take if I think I have been exposed to hantavirus?
If you have been exposed to rodents or rodent infestations and have symptoms of fever, deep muscle aches, and severe shortness of breath, see your doctor immediately. Inform your doctor of possible rodent exposure so that he/she is alerted to the possibility of rodent-borne diseases, such as HPS.

What is hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS)?
Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) is a deadly disease caused by hantaviruses. Rodents can transmit hantaviruses through urine, droppings, or saliva. Humans can contract the disease when they breathe in aerosolized virus.

Who is at risk of contracting HPS?
Anyone who comes into contact with rodents that carry hantavirus is at risk of HPS. Rodent infestation in and around the home remains the primary risk for hantavirus exposure. Even healthy individuals are at risk for HPS infection if exposed to the virus.

How is HPS transmitted?
Hantavirus is transmitted by infected rodents through urine, droppings, or saliva. Individuals become infected with HPS after breathing fresh aerosolized urine, droppings, saliva, or nesting materials. Transmission can also occur when these materials are directly introduced into broken skin, the nose or the mouth. If a rodent with the virus bites someone, the virus may be spread to that person, but this type of transmission is rare.

Can you contract HPS from another person?
HPS in the United States cannot be transmitted from one person to another. You cannot get the virus from touching or kissing a person who has HPS or from a health care worker who has treated someone with the disease. In addition, you cannot contract the virus from a blood transfusion in which you receive blood from a person who survived HPS.

Can you contract HPS from other animals?
Hantaviruses that cause HPS in the United States are only known to be transmitted by certain species of rodents. HPS in the United States is not known to be transmitted by farm animals, dogs, or cats or from rodents purchased from a pet store.

How long can hantavirus remain infectious in the environment?
The length of time hantaviruses can remain infectious in the environment is variable and depends on environmental conditions, such as temperature and humidity, whether the virus is indoors or outdoors or exposed to the sun, and even on the rodent’s diet (which would affect the chemistry of its urine). Viability for 2 or 3 days has been shown at normal room temperature. Exposure to sunlight will decrease the time of viability, and freezing temperatures will actually increase the time that the virus remains viable. Since the survival of infectious virus is measured in terms of hours or days, only active infestations of infected rodents result in conditions that are likely to lead to human hantavirus infection.