Opening or cleaning cabins, sheds, and outbuildings, including barns, garages and storage facilities, that have been closed during the winter is a potential risk for hantavirus infections, especially in rural settings. WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. (ABC4) – Those living within the Navajo Nation are being warned about Hantavirus, a rare, but potentially fatal, disease that is spread by infected rodent droppings. The hantavirus strain present in deer mice is Sin Nombre(SNV). However, everyone should use caution in dealing with rodents or rodent infestations and contact a pest control professional. Deer mice, cotton rats, rice rats and white-footed mice are the most common transmitters. Several other hantaviruses are capable of causing hantavirus infection in the US. Dogs and cats are not known to carry hantavirus; however, they may bring infected rodents into contact with people if they catch such animals and carry them home. This virus can be fatal and is found within the deer mouse's feces, urine and saliva. In North America many species of hantavirus have been identified in rodents. Anyone who comes into contact with rodents that carry hantavirus is at risk of HPS. The white-footed mouse is found throughout southern New England and the Mid-Atlantic and southern states, the midwestern and western states, and Mexico. Not all rodents have been found to carry hantavirus. There are several other ways rodents may spread hantavirus to people: The hantaviruses that cause human illness in the United States cannot be transmitted from one person to another. Please see our prevention information on how to properly clean rodent-infested areas. Rodent infestation in and around the home remains the primary risk for hantavirus exposure. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) cannot attest to the accuracy of a non-federal website. The deer mouse is found throughout North America, preferring woodlands, but also appearing in desert areas. The head and body measure approximately 5–7 inches (12.5cm–18cm), with another 3–4 inches (7.5cm–10cm) for the tail. Several types of hantaviruses can cause hantavirus pulmonary syndrome. Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome is an infectious disease characterized by flu-like symptoms that can progress rapidly to potentially life-threatening breathing problems. It is important to avoid actions that raise dust, such as sweeping or vacuuming. North America. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) cannot attest to the accuracy of a non-federal website. Campers and hikers can also be exposed when they use infested trail shelters or camp in other rodent habitats. The New York hantavirus, carried by the white-footed mouse, is associated with HPS A recent study in California suggested about 15% of all deer mice examined tested positive for hantavirus. It inhabits overgrown areas with shrubs and tall grasses. The host of the Sin Nombre virus is the deer mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus), present throughout the western and central US and Canada. Hantavirus is spread when virus-containing particles from rodent urine, droppings, or saliva are stirred into the air. Orthohantavirus is a genus of single-stranded, enveloped, negative-sense RNA viruses in the family Hantaviridae of the order Bunyavirales. The cotton rat (Sigmodon hispidus), found in the southeastern US and down into Central and South America, has a bigger body than the deer mouse. Rats| Mice| Pigeons| Bats|Cockroaches Steri-Clean specializes in the removal and disinfection of areas affected by pigeons, rats, mice, cockroaches and other rodents and/or insects that unfortunately often take residence in our homes and businesses. The rice rat prefers marshy areas and is semi-aquatic. They are nocturnal, so they sleep in their nests during the day. Cleaning in and around your own home can put you at risk if rodents have made it their home too. The chance of being exposed to hantavirus is greatest when people work, play, or live in closed spaces where rodents are actively living. The most important of these is Sine Nombre virus which is carried by deer mice in Canada, Mexico and the US. The host of the Sin Nombre virus is the deer mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus), present throughout the western and central US and Canada. The deer mouse makes its home outdoors in hollow tree logs or piles of garbage. The New York hantavirus, carried by the white-footed mouse, is associated with HPS cases in the northeastern US. In the United States, deer mice (along with cotton rats and rice rats in the southeastern states and the white-footed mouse in the Northeast) are reservoirs of the hantaviruses. Therefore, if you live in an area where the carrier rodents, such as the deer mouse, are known to live, take sensible precautions-even if you do not see rodents or their droppings. The white-footed mouse is found throughout southern New England, the Mid-Atlantic, parts of the southern states, the midwestern and western states, and Mexico. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The white-footed mouse (Peromyscus leucopus) closely resembles the deer mouse. The cotton rat inhabits overgrown areas with shrubs and tall grasses. Studies have shown that deer mice are the most common host of the virus and are well dispersed throughout Montana. It is found in the southeastern US and Central America. The Black Creek hantavirus, carried by the cotton rat, is found in the southeastern US. Many homes can expect to shelter rodents, especially as the weather turns cold. HPS risk factors People can become infected with hantavirus when saliva, urine, or droppings from an infected deer mouse are stirred up and inhaled. House Mouse Diseases & Hantavirus … The deer mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus) is a deceptively cute animal, with big eyes and ears. The deer mouse is found throughout North America, preferring woodlands, but also appearing in desert areas. The 1993 Four Corners hantavirus outbreak was an outbreak of hantavirus that caused the first known human cases of hantavirus disease in the United States.It occurred within the Four Corners region – the geographic intersection of the U.S. states of Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona – of the southwestern part of the country in mid-1993. Its top fur ranges from pale to reddish brown, while its underside and feet are white. Saving Lives, Protecting People, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases (NCEZID), Division of High-Consequence Pathogens and Pathology (DHCPP), Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome (HFRS), International Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS), General Hantavirus Technical/Clinical Information, Training Hantavirus Disease: Information for Medical Providers, Training Hantavirus Disease in the Four Corners Region: Information for Medical Providers, Prevent Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome: A guide for tourists, campers, and hikers, COVID-19 vs. Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome, Preventing Seoul Virus Infection in Pet Rats and People, Cleaning Up After Pet Rodents to Reduce the Risk of Seoul Virus Infection, Testing for Seoul Virus in Pet Rats: Information For Veterinarians, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. CDC twenty four seven. Head and body together measure approximately four inches (10cm). In color, the deer mouse ranges from grey to reddish brown, depending on age. It has short, soft, grayish-brown fur on top, and gray or tawny underbellies. The rice rat prefers marshy areas and is semi-aquatic. In Chile and Argentina, rare cases of person-to-person transmission have occurred among close contacts of a person who was ill with a type of hantavirus called Andes virus. The hantavirus strain present in the rice rat is Bayou virus (BAYV). It is found in the southeastern US and Central America. This process is known as “airborne transmission“. Infection occurs when you breathe in virus particles. Construction, utility and pest control workers can be exposed when they work in crawl spaces, under houses, or in vacant buildings that may have a rodent population. However, recent research results show that many people who have become ill with HPS were infected with the disease after continued contact with rodents and/or their droppings. Cases of HPS have been confirmed elsewhere in the Americas, including Canada, Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Panama, Paraguay, and Uruguay. It prefers wooded and brushy areas, although it will sometime inhabit more open ground. In the US and Canada, the Sin Nombre hantavirus is responsible for the majority of cases of hantavirus infection. The hantaviruses that cause human illness in the United States are not known to be transmitted by any types of animals other than certain species of rodents. The cotton rat is found in the southeastern US and down into Central and South America. For example, you cannot get these viruses from touching or kissing a person who has HPS or from a health care worker who has treated someone with the disease. You will be subject to the destination website's privacy policy when you follow the link. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Scientists also suspect people can become sick if they eat food contaminated by urine, droppings, or saliva from an infected rodent. The hantavirus strain present in the cotton rat is Black Creek Canal virus (BCCV). Saving Lives, Protecting People, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases (NCEZID), Division of High-Consequence Pathogens and Pathology (DHCPP), Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome (HFRS), International Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS), General Hantavirus Technical/Clinical Information, Training Hantavirus Disease: Information for Medical Providers, Training Hantavirus Disease in the Four Corners Region: Information for Medical Providers, Prevent Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome: A guide for tourists, campers, and hikers, COVID-19 vs. Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome, Preventing Seoul Virus Infection in Pet Rats and People, Cleaning Up After Pet Rodents to Reduce the Risk of Seoul Virus Infection, Testing for Seoul Virus in Pet Rats: Information For Veterinarians, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. When a deer mouse does come indoors, it prefers quiet places, such as attics. They also use their nests to raise their young and to protect them against harsh weather. The milder Saaremaa virus is also carried by the striped field mouse in Estonia and nearby in Russia. Their feet are whitish. The underbelly is always white and the tail has clearly defined white sides. In addition, many people who have contracted HPS reported that they had not seen rodents or their droppings before becoming ill. Hantaviruses, from the Bunyaviridae family, are a group of viruses that are normally carried by rodents, such as rats, mice and voles. You will be subject to the destination website's privacy policy when you follow the link. The fur is longer and coarser, grayish-brown, even grayish-black, in color. If a rodent with the virus bites someone, the virus may be spread to that person, but this type of transmission is rare. When fresh rodent urine, droppings, or nesting materials are stirred up, tiny droplets containing the virus get into the air. Deer mice are the primary transmitters of hantavirus, although other rodents such as white-footed mice, cotton rats, and rice rats may also be carriers. Linking to a non-federal website does not constitute an endorsement by CDC or any of its employees of the sponsors or the information and products presented on the website. The first case of Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome, HPS, of the year was confirmed in McKinley County, within the Navajo Nation, according officials. Occasionally these animals may carry germs or may come into contact with wildlife and can contract diseases that they can then pass on to their human owners. In color, the deer mouse ranges from grey to reddish brown, depending on age. HANTAVIRUS. Diseases from pocket pets (rats, mice, hamsters, guinea pigs, gerbils and rabbits) Hamsters, rats, mice, gerbils, guinea pigs and rabbits are popular pets in many homes. Humans may become infected with hantaviruses through contact with rodent urine, saliva, or feces. Although the deer mouse has been the source of most HPSinfections, many other rodents may carry a different hantavirus subtype virus (for example, the white-footed mouse, the cotton rat, and the rice rat).