“Orthohantavirus” - commonly known as hantavirus – is a very, very rare virus. There have never been confirmed human cases in Australia.
Hantavirus: Once thought to be rare this disease has been identified in rodents across Australia. This serious and potentially fatal disease is spread through inhalation of dust that contains urine, saliva, or droppings. Direct infection from bites is also possible.
Mice can contaminate food — which can lead to food poisoning and spoilage. Rampant rodents can also carry diseases that may spread to humans.
Is the Disease Fatal? Yes. HPS can be fatal. It has a mortality rate of 38%.
Although prevalence varies temporally and geographically, on average about 10% of deer mice tested throughout the range of the species show evidence of infection with SNV.
The risk of acquiring hantavirus is extremely rare, even among people who are consistently exposed to mice and other rodents. The majority of exposures (70%) occur around the home. Hantavirus poses no significant health risk to WSU employees provided that simple precautions are followed.
Hantavirus infections are rare. Sporadic (single) cases may occur throughout the country, but most, greater than 90%, of the cases have occurred in the west of the Mississippi River.
Hantavirus has also been indentified in laboratory rats and mice and has caused infection in laboratory workers. It is a potential hazard for people working with rats and mice. Hantaviruses are not known to be present in Australian rodents.
There is no specific treatment, cure, or vaccine for hantavirus infection. However, we do know that if infected individuals are recognized early and receive medical care in an intensive care unit, they may do better.
Hantavirus infection can have no symptoms or cause mild to severe illness. Fever is the most common symptom in all three types of disease and lasts about 3-7 days. Other symptoms differ between the three types of disease.
Only some kinds of mice and rats can give people hantaviruses that can cause HPS. In North America, they are the deer mouse, the white-footed mouse, the rice rat, and the cotton rat. However, not every deer mouse, white-footed mouse, rice rat, or cotton rat carries a hantavirus.
However, the virus is shed continuously from them: into the droppings and urine they leave around the room, and into their saliva, which dries on anything they have chewed, such as nesting material. Out in the environment like this, the virus can live for several days.
Hantaviruses have been shown to be viable in the environment for 2 to 3 days at normal room temperature.
Rodent-borne infectious diseases
Symptoms include fever, headache, sore muscles, chills, vomiting and red eyes. Leptospirosis is a bacterial infection.
Transmission. Cases of human hantavirus infection usually occur in rural areas (forests, fields, farms, etc.), where rodents hosting the virus may be found. However, transmission may also occur in urban areas. The virus is contracted through the inhalation of rodent droppings (urine and feces) and saliva.
Diseases are mainly spread to people from rodents when they breathe in contaminated air. CDC recommends that you NOT vacuum or sweep rodent urine, droppings, or nesting materials. These actions can cause tiny droplets containing viruses to get into the air.
If you have unexplained fever, body aches, abdominal pain, diarrhea, headaches, dry cough or severe breathing difficulty, you should see a healthcare provider. This is especially true if you live in the southwestern US and are exposed to large rodent populations, their nesting material and waste.
There is no specific treatment for hantavirus infection. However, if the virus is caught early and the patient receives medical care in an intensive care unit (ICU), they will likely improve.
Blood tests can reveal if your body has made antibodies to a hantavirus. Your doctor may order other laboratory tests to rule out other conditions with similar symptoms.
Mouse plagues occur in southern and eastern Australia, usually in the grain-growing regions, around every four years. Aggregating around food sources during plagues, mice can reach a density of up to 3,000 per hectare (1,200/acre).
CSIRO mouse researcher Steve Henry says farmers have reported increased mice numbers in northern NSW, central Queensland, north-west Victoria and South Australia's Yorke Peninsula. But the wheat belt of Western Australia has been worst hit. “There are widespread high numbers [there].
People at Risk for Hantavirus Infection
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.
Anyone who comes into contact with rodents that carry hantaviruses 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.
The accumulation of feces from mice and rats can spread bacteria, contaminate food sources and trigger allergic reactions in humans. Once the fecal matter becomes dry, it can be hazardous to those who breathe it in. Moreover, rodent droppings can spread diseases and viruses, including those listed below.
This failure causes very low blood pressure (“shock”) as oxygen is not available to all the cells of the body. This can rapidly lead to the failure of most or all of the organs and can quickly lead to death.