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Hantavirus
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Hantavirus is a respiratory illness spread by infected deer mice through their droppings, urine or saliva. It is most common in spring, when people are outdoors or spring cleaning and breathe in the air-borne particles. People first get flu-like symptoms, including fever and body aches, which progress to breathing problems. Since 1989, there have been 31 cases of hantavirus in Alberta, and nine deaths. The woman, who died Sunday, is the first fatality since 2002.
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The primary carrier of the Hantavirus is the Deer Mouse, Peromyscus maniculatus. The Deer Mouse is the size of a house mouse; ranges in color from pale gray to reddish brown; has white fur on its belly and feet; and has a bi-colored tail (pale gray to reddish brown and white), slightly shorter than its head and body length. The deer mouse is commonly found in forests, brush, grasslands, and chaparral areas throughout California. State and local health agencies have tested several thousand deer mice throughout the State and found average 12% positive for Hantavirus. If you would like to see a map of locations of Hantavirus for Ventura County, click here.
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Hantavirus has killed 12 Canadians in the seven years since it was identified. All cases to date have occurred in the four western provinces, most of them in Alberta. While still rare in Canada, the virus, carried by deer mice, has now been confirmed in most parts of Canada. While it has not yet been found in Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island or the Northwest Territories, there has not been sufficient sampling in those areas to rule it out.
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Hantavirus infections occur in several states in the U. S. as well as in many other areas of North and South America. Sin Nombre virus is the most common of the hantaviruses in the United States. It is usually responsible for infections in the western states, including Colorado, and is carried by the deer mouse. In 1993, a cluster of illnesses occurred in the Four Corners area of the southwestern United States. This was the first incident where Sin Nombre virus was identified.
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Hantavirus infections are associated with domestic, occupational, or recreational activities that bring humans into contact with infected rodents, usually in rural settings. Known hantavirus infections of humans occur primarily in adults. HPS cases in the United States occur throughout the year, but greater numbers are reported in spring and summer. Hantavirus infection (resulting in HPS or HFRS) has been epidemiologically associated with the following situations (25,31--36):
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Hantavirus is spread from wild rodents to people. The virus, which is found in rodent urine, saliva, and feces, gets in the air as mist from urine and saliva or dust from feces. Breathing in the virus is the most common way of becoming infected; ... you can also become infected by touching the mouth or nose after handling contaminated materials. A rodent's bite can also spread the virus.
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