Hantavirus Pulmonary
Syndrome (HPS) Fact Sheet
PDF version
of this Fact Sheet
Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS) is a respiratory
illness caused by a virus that is carried by rodents (mice
and rats)
In the United States, the deer mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus),
the cotton rat (Sigmodon hispidus), the rice rat (Oryzomys
palustris) in the Southeast, and the white-footed mouse
(Peromyscus leucopus) in the Northeast are the rodents
that carry hantaviruses that cause HPS. Other rodents
that carry strains of hantavirus that cause HPS have yet
to be identified.
HPS is a rare disease and most people are NOT
at risk for Hantavirus infection
You can catch HPS by direct contact with infected rodents
or rodent droppings (which look like black grains of rice),
or by breathing in dust that contains infected rodent
droppings, urine, or saliva. A rodent bite may also spread
the virus. Person-to-person spread of hantaviruses has
not occurred in the United States. The virus is able to
live in dirt and dust for some time. People may be exposed
when they spend time outdoors, or when rodents are inside
houses and outbuildings (such as sheds, cabins, or barns).
Any activity where you directly touch rodents or their
droppings, urine, saliva, or nesting materials (twigs,
insulation, shredded paper, grass) and/or stir up dust
in rodent-contaminated places may put you at risk for
HPS
- Sweeping, cleaning, and vacuuming closed up rooms,
cabins, warehouses, sheds, barns, garages, and
outbuildings that have been closed during the winter
and may be infested with rodents
- Going into crawl spaces under rodent infested houses
- Camping and hiking
- Symptoms may appear from a few days up to 6 weeks
after exposure
Most people with HPS will have early symptoms much like
those of the flu: fever (101 to 104?F), tiredness, muscle
aches, headaches, dizziness, chills, and stomach problems
(nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and pain). Later symptoms
are coughing and difficulty breathing, which are caused
by fluid buildup in the lungs. These symptoms may last
a few hours to several days. HPS can result in death.
You can prevent HPS
1) Do not make buildings attractive to rodents
- Keep all eating, cooking, and food storage areas
clean.
- Put all food, water, and garbage in metal or thick
plastic containers with tight fitting lids. Never leave
pet food and water out overnight.
- Get rid of trash and clutter, such as junk cars,
old tires, wood, and trash piles.
- Keep garbage off the ground.
- Clear brush and trash from around homes and outbuildings.
2) Control rodent populations by keeping snap
traps and/or using chemicals (rodenticides) to rid the
area of rodents
3) Safely clean up rodent-infested areas
- Air out rodent infested places at least 30 minutes
BEFORE cleanup.
- Spray or wet down all areas found with droppings,
nesting, and other materials with a household disinfectant,
or with a bleach solution (using 1½ cups of household
bleach per gallon of water).
- DO NOT sweep, vacuum, or stir up dust until the area
is thoroughly wet with disinfectant.
- Wear rubber gloves; wash gloves in disinfectant before
removing; and WASH HANDS afterwards.
4) Avoid rodents when outdoors
- Do not disturb rodent droppings or camp or sleep near
burrows or areas where trash is present.
- Avoid sleeping on bare ground (use a mat or off the
ground cots).
- Do not sleep near woodpiles or garbage/trash areas.
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