Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS) Information prepared by California Dept. of
Health Services: www.dhs.ca.gov
A recent case of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS), a
disease spread by rodents, in San Diego County has prompted Dr. Richard
Joseph Jackson, public health officer of the California Department of
Health Services, to caution anyone entering cabins, trailers and other
buildings infested with rodents to take precautions to prevent exposure
to the virus that causes the disease. (See
State Press Release 04-38 - June 2004). In late May 2004, a 32-year-old
San Diego County woman was hospitalized with HPS. She has recovered.
"Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome is a rare, but often
fatal disease spread by rodents," said Jackson. "The chances
of getting the virus are greatest while entering or cleaning enclosed
spaces where wild rodents have been present."
Hantavirus
pulmonary syndrome (HPS) is a deadly disease transmitted by infected
rodents through urine, droppings, or saliva. Humans can contract
the disease when they breathe in aerosolized virus. Rodent control
in and around the home remains the primary strategy for preventing
hantavirus infection.
HPS is caused by a virus that individuals contract through
contact with the urine, droppings and saliva of wild mice, primarily deer
mice. Breathing small particles of mouse urine or droppings that have
been stirred up into the air is the most common means of infection. The
illness begins with fever, headache and muscle ache. It progresses rapidly
to severe difficulty in breathing and, in some cases, death.
Since HPS was first identified in 1993, there have been 41
cases in California and 360 cases nationally. About 25 percent of HPS
cases identified in California were fatal.
To prevent HPS, Jackson recommended the following precautions:
Avoid
areas, especially indoors, where wild rodents are likely to have been
present. Wear plastic gloves and spray areas contaminated with rodent
droppings and urine with diluted bleach. Place the waste in double plastic
bags, each tightly sealed, and discard in the trash. Wash hands thoroughly
afterward.
Do not touch or handle live rodents and wear gloves when handling dead
rodents. Spray dead rodents with diluted bleach and dispose of in the
same way as droppings. Wash hands thoroughly after handling dead rodents.
Keep
rodents out of buildings by removing stacked wood, rubbish piles and
discarded junk from around homes and sealing any holes where rodents
could enter. Keep food in tightly sealed containers and store away from
rodents.
If
there are large numbers of rodents present in a home or other building,
contact a pest control service to remove them.
