“Hantaviruses?”
I have at least one mouse in my garage building a nest. I know nothing about mice this is the first I have had. I was shop vacuuming the droppings. I told my sister and she told me I could get all these terrible diseases and now I am terrified.
Female | 56 years old
Complaint duration: 1 week
3 Answers
InfectiousDiseaseSpecialistInfectiousDiseaseSpecialist
Likliehood of hantavirus is greatly dependent on your geography. Different mice carry the virus in southern florida, western US etc. It is pretty rare;
transmission occurs when direct or indirect (airborne) contact is made with the saliva or waste products of rodents that carry the virus, most commonly the deer mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus). Initial symptoms may include fever, muscle aches (myalgias), headache, cough, and/or difficulty breathing. Symptoms progress rapidly, and abnormally low blood pressure (hypotension), shock, and/or respiratory failure may occur.
My best advice, (even to my own husband in OH) is to always wear a mask when you clean out the shed, the garage etc. There are other viruses that mice also carry that can lead to infections.
transmission occurs when direct or indirect (airborne) contact is made with the saliva or waste products of rodents that carry the virus, most commonly the deer mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus). Initial symptoms may include fever, muscle aches (myalgias), headache, cough, and/or difficulty breathing. Symptoms progress rapidly, and abnormally low blood pressure (hypotension), shock, and/or respiratory failure may occur.
My best advice, (even to my own husband in OH) is to always wear a mask when you clean out the shed, the garage etc. There are other viruses that mice also carry that can lead to infections.
Hantavirus disease (severe lung infection) acquired from mouse droppings/urine mostly via inhalation is very rare maybe 20-40 cases per year in the US and over 95% of all cases occurred in States West of the the Mississippi river. Trap the mouse, spray mouse droppings/nest with Lysol or use 1 part bleach with 10 parts water, wait 30 minutes and then remove from your garage.
Thanks for the question.
While field mice do carry pathogens, you did the right thing. I would suggest wearing a filter mask when doing this job.
While field mice do carry pathogens, you did the right thing. I would suggest wearing a filter mask when doing this job.
