In addition, there are no reports of hantavirus infection in humans in Australia.
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.
How is hantavirus spread? Hantavirus is spread from wild rodents, particularly mice and rats, to people. The virus, which is found in rodent urine, saliva, and feces (poop), can be easily released in the air in confined spaces when disturbed by rodents or human activities, such as sweeping or vacuuming.
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.
While HPS is a very rare disease, cases have occurred in all regions of the United States except for Alaska and Hawaii. How do people get HPS? People get HPS when they breath in hantaviruses. This can happen when rodent urine and droppings that contain a hantavirus are stirred up into the air.
Approximately 12 percent of deer mice carry hantavirus. The deer mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus) is the primary reservoir for Sin Nombre Virus, the strain of hantavirus responsible for the human cases in Yosemite National Park, and most human cases in the United States.
There is no specific treatment or cure for hantavirus infection. Treatment of patients with HPS remains supportive in nature. Patients should receive appropriate, broad-spectrum antibiotic therapy while awaiting confirmation of a diagnosis of HPS.
Rodents harbor the virus, which is shed in their urine, droppings, or saliva. Humans can contract the disease if they breathe in the virus, or if they are bitten by an infected rodent. HPS has a mortality rate of 38%.
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.
Early symptoms include fatigue, fever and muscle aches, especially in the large muscle groups—thighs, hips, back, and sometimes shoulders. These symptoms are universal. There may also be headaches, dizziness, chills, and abdominal problems, such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain.
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.
House mice do not carry hantavirus. Other wild mice, like deer mice, can vector hantavirus, but are most often found in rural areas, the desert, and mountains and rarely invade inhabited human homes.
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.
Symptoms: Fever, vomiting, headache, muscle pain, joint pain or swelling, rash. Treatment: Seek medical assistance immediately, as antibiotics or different treatment needs to be prescribed. The disease has been known to lead to serious consequences if untreated, such as internal organs' infections.
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.
There is no specific treatment, cure, or vaccine for hantavirus infection.
Convalescence from either HFRS or HPS can take weeks or months, but patients usually recover full lung function. Hantaviruses are found naturally in various species of rodents. Infections do not appear to be pathogenic to their rodent hosts and may be carried lifelong.
HPS became a notifiable disease in 1995 and is now reported through the Nationally Notifiable Disease Surveillance System (NNDSS) since the year 1995[7]. In the year 2020, 833 cases of hantavirus infection had been reported, with 35% mortality rate in the US [8].
The hantavirus is destroyed by detergents and readily available disinfectants such as diluted household bleach or products containing phenol (e.g., Lysol®). Choose an agent that is compatible with the item, object or area to be cleaned and disinfected.
Every year, there are approximately 300 cases reported in the Americas. Hantavirus infections can be fatal. Fatality rates may reach up to 60%. There is no available treatment.
The virus may remain infectious for 2 to 3 days at room temperature. Exposure to sunlight will decrease the time of viability and freezing temperatures will increase the time that the virus remains infectious.
In most recorded cases, symptoms develop 1 to 8 weeks after exposure. Early symptoms, such as fever, dry cough, body aches, headaches, diarrhea and abdominal pain, are similar to many other viral illnesses. This may prevent an HPS diagnosis before the illness progresses.
Do not use a vacuum or a high-pressure sprayer on rodent urine, droppings, or contaminated surfaces until they have been disinfected. Spray materials with a disinfectant until fully soaked and let sit for 5 minutes or according to label instructions.