Found a Mouse in Your Home? Here’s When You Actually Need to Worry About Hantavirus

Hantavirus, a respiratory virus unfold by rodents, has been within the headlines in current weeks; the virus was accountable for the February loss of life of Betsy Arakawa, 65, the spouse of actor Gene Hackman.

An investigation report shared that Arakawa had been trying to find data on-line about flu-like signs and respiration strategies within the days earlier than she died, in accordance with The Related Press.

The report additionally mentioned there have been rodent droppings, a nest, and traps on the couple’s Santa Fe, New Mexico, property. Although there didn’t seem like any rodent exercise in the home itself.

Arakawa’s stunning loss of life has introduced newfound consideration to hantavirus and the pulmonary an infection it causes, which is uncommon however will be lethal.

However even if hundreds of thousands of People have reported seeing rodents of their dwelling, most individuals don’t want to fret about contracting hantavirus in the event that they spot a mouse of their dwelling, consultants mentioned.

“Clearly, rodent infestations and publicity are fairly frequent, however they hardly ever ever truly lead to hantavirus an infection,” Brian Dawes, MD, PhD, infectious illness fellow and postdoctoral researcher at Stanford Medication, informed Well being.

There are lots of various kinds of hantaviruses that unfold all over the world—all of that are transmitted from rodents to people—however the primary one discovered within the U.S. is known as the Sin Nombre virus, mentioned Otto Yang, MD, professor of medication within the division of infectious illnesses on the UCLA David Geffen College of Medication.

Hantavirus is principally carried by the deer mouse, which generally lives in rural areas west of the Mississippi River, equivalent to Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, and California.

These mice “are inclined to have it with out getting sick and unfold it to one another,” Yang informed Well being. Nevertheless, generally deer mice can move the virus to folks.

People can contract hantavirus in the event that they inhale airborne particles launched from an contaminated rodent’s urine, saliva, or feces. In uncommon circumstances, a chunk can set off an an infection, however the overwhelming majority of circumstances are attributable to inhalation, in accordance with Dawes.

As soon as the virus is in your system, it might result in hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS).

HPS causes flu-like signs equivalent to fever, fatigue, and muscle aches anyplace from one to eight weeks after an individual is first uncovered to the virus. Although it’s much less frequent, some folks with HPS can even expertise chills, dizziness, complications, or gastrointestinal signs equivalent to nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea.

The vast majority of folks get better from hantavirus infections, notably in the event that they solely have extra gentle signs. Nevertheless, others could get sicker and develop chest tightness, coughing, shortness of breath, and fluid of their lungs. Roughly 4 in 10 individuals who develop HPS die from it, in accordance with the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention (CDC).

Fortunately, hantavirus is sort of uncommon. CDC knowledge present {that a} complete of 834 HPS circumstances had been reported between 1993 and 2022. The majority of those—94%—occurred west of the Mississippi River and roughly a 3rd had been deadly.

It’s not completely clear how these folks grew to become contaminated with hantavirus, or what transmission mostly appears to be like like. Specialists aren’t positive precisely how lengthy it’s important to be close to an contaminated rodent—or their droppings, urine, or saliva—to get sick.

“It’s onerous to know, as a result of we clearly can’t experiment by testing exposures of individuals to the provider rodents,” mentioned Yang.

That mentioned, there do seem like some traits. Most circumstances happen after indoor publicity to rodents—assume cabins in rural places, he defined. And since the virus is primarily unfold by way of the air, it’s much less possible that individuals get sick after being bitten by a mouse.

Hantavirus is uncommon, so your threat of getting sick remains to be low, even should you’re coping with rodents in your house.

Your threat actually relies on the place you reside. Deer mice—the rodent that primarily carries hantavirus—often stick with rural areas out west.

However “frequent home mice (Mus musculus), that are prevalent in city and suburban communities, don’t carry hantavirus,” mentioned Charles Chiu, MD, PhD, professor of laboratory medication within the division of infectious illnesses on the College of California, San Francisco. Which means should you dwell in a metropolis or the suburbs, it’s not possible you’ll catch hantavirus.

And, even in a Western, rural space, your property would should be infested with wild rodents carrying the virus. Plus, not all deer mice can get you sick—an older research estimated roughly 10% to 14% of deer mice carry hantavirus, whereas a 2024 research of rodents in New Mexico discovered lower than 9% of deer mice had the virus.

Basically, should you’re strolling exterior and see a mouse run by, “the chance is probably going minimal,” mentioned Yang. Nevertheless, should you’re vacationing in a cabin in Yosemite Nationwide Park—an space with loads of mouse exercise and historical past of outbreaks—”you need to be extra involved,” he mentioned.

In case you see indicators of a rodent infestation in your house—specifically, mouse droppings—it’s at all times a good suggestion to proceed with warning. Since they’ll carry hantavirus or different infectious illnesses, “at all times deal with rodent droppings as probably infectious,” mentioned Dawes.

Chiu recommends sealing up your house with the assistance of an skilled. It’s also possible to do away with any potential nesting areas and entice any visiting rodents.

You must clear up totally different areas that may have been infested with rodents, too.

Air out your house for half-hour earlier than cleansing, then use gloves and put on a high-quality face masks, the CDC suggests. As a substitute of sweeping or vacuuming, wipe down flooring and surfaces with a disinfectant or bleach. “It will assist kill many of the virus and make the feces [and] urine damp in order that it’s tougher to get into the air,” mentioned Dawes.

Nonetheless, keep upwind when you’re cleansing to additional decrease your threat of unintentionally inhaling probably contaminated dust or mud.

In case you develop any flu-like signs after being round mice in a rural setting, you must go to an emergency room—ideally one which has an intensive care unit (ICU), suggested Yang.

HPS is often handled with supportive care. And although some proof suggests an antiviral drug known as Ribavirin could also be useful, extra knowledge is required to raised perceive the drug’s results.

However it’s necessary to inform your physician should you had been probably uncovered to rodents—that method, they’ll establish (and deal with) the an infection sooner. “The sooner, the higher,” mentioned Yang, “as a result of HPS can progress in a short time.”