May 12, 2012 – Hantavirus Facts
QUESTION:
What are the symptoms of hantavirus and how common is this virus in Ohio?
ANSWER:
Hantavirus is a very serious pulmonary disease, and the mortality rate is actually pretty high, with about 1 in 3 people diagnosed with the disease dying from it. While this disease probably has been present in people in the U.S. for a very long time, it wasn't really well known until 1993 when an outbreak occurred in the "Four Corners" area of the Southwest. From this outbreak an intensive study was done to determine the pathogen causing it, and it was finally isolated as a virus simply called the Sin Nombre virus. Several other viruses now also are known to cause the disease. The primary carrier and reservoir of the virus appears to be Deer Mice. They excrete the virus in their feces, urine, and saliva, and when these dry and become airborne they can be inhaled by humans. Many species of rodents have been shown to be "capable" of carrying the hantavirus pathogens, but deer mice in the genus Peromyscus continue to be the primary reservoirs. When the mice inhabit structures where people then enter the opportunity for infection occurs.
View past Ask Mr. Pest Control questions.
What are the symptoms of hantavirus and how common is this virus in Ohio?
ANSWER:
Hantavirus is a very serious pulmonary disease, and the mortality rate is actually pretty high, with about 1 in 3 people diagnosed with the disease dying from it. While this disease probably has been present in people in the U.S. for a very long time, it wasn't really well known until 1993 when an outbreak occurred in the "Four Corners" area of the Southwest. From this outbreak an intensive study was done to determine the pathogen causing it, and it was finally isolated as a virus simply called the Sin Nombre virus. Several other viruses now also are known to cause the disease. The primary carrier and reservoir of the virus appears to be Deer Mice. They excrete the virus in their feces, urine, and saliva, and when these dry and become airborne they can be inhaled by humans. Many species of rodents have been shown to be "capable" of carrying the hantavirus pathogens, but deer mice in the genus Peromyscus continue to be the primary reservoirs. When the mice inhabit structures where people then enter the opportunity for infection occurs.
The symptoms initially are very similar to the flu - fever, headache, nausea, fatigue - but as it progresses the lungs fill with fluids and it now becomes life threatening. The progression of the disease can be very rapid, and news reports of people with the disease suggested that death occurred within just a few days after the first symptoms were felt. Without question medical care needs to be sought if a person believes he was exposed to dust that may be infected with the virus, due to activity in and around deer mice. This also emphasizes the importance of removing rodent fecal matter from structures in the PROPER manner, and sanitizing the surfaces where the feces or urine may have been deposited. This is an opportunity for pest management professionals, but you need to be very clear on the proper method and the personal protective equipment that must be worn.
The disease occurs more commonly in some states than others. Washington State, for example, states that 1 to 5 cases per year are confirmed. An Ohio Department of Health fact sheet on Hantavirus, updated in 2011, states that there have been "no confirmed cases in Ohio".
View past Ask Mr. Pest Control questions.
