Hantavirus

[tcartwri]

An acquaintance of my sister in law just passed away from this nasty little virus. Now everyone in contact with his property is being tested including the SIL and her partner.

Be vigilant in cleaning up your shops and barns and keep the critters out as much as possible. If you have seldom used buildings or abandoned sheds etc where they can build nests... be wary.

Worst thing about it, is that it presents itself as a cold or flu, but can kill you in less than 48 hours without prompt intervention.

 

[Pettrix]

I am sorry for the loss.

I know this virus very well. Unfortunately, most people have no idea that it exists and how one catches it. It is a rural virus and it is spread by the Deer Mouse. It is caught by cleaning up mouse feces, urine, saliva. It is an air borne virus and any dust particles that are carrying it can be inhaled. Once you breathe in the infected particles, the virus will take 10-20 days to emerge but once it does the flu like symptoms will kill you via means of drowning in your own fluid and cardiac arrest. The mortality rate is 50% and that is with emergency room care. Without it, the mortality rate is 100%. There is NO cure for the virus, only treatment of the lungs and heart by putting you on a breathing machine.

I almost caught the virus out in Colorado when I was cleaning out a basement that had Deer Mice. I was not aware of the virus and learned the dangers after I was exposed. My neighbor down the street was not so lucky, he died from the HantaVirus.

Do a Google search and read up on it. It is a rural virus because Deer Mice are not an urban phenomena.

 

[Western]

Tim, that is a nasty "bug", when we lived in Colorado, we where always aware of the potential exposure. Dont know how widespread it is, but several people died or got real sick from it each year in the 4 corners region. Transferred by mice droppings IIRC

 

[tcartwri]

This happened in Whitehorse Yukon, and the Sister in Law has a form of emphysema which makes it double jeopardy. She will be under some serious scrutiny for a while, as she was the one giving this fellow his initial care when became sick.

 

[texasjohn]

Dang, I looked it up...didn't know it was in Texas also...37 deaths reported. I even think I've caught some of the mice in my mouse traps!

Hantavirus - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[Pettrix]

Dang, I looked it up...didn't know it was in Texas also...37 deaths reported. I even think I've caught some of the mice in my mouse traps!

Hantavirus - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Better late than too late, as in RIP. I vacuumed up Deer Mouse droppings and later found out about the HantaVirus. It was a very unnerving 2-3 weeks. Neighbor down the street ended up dying from HantaVirus after he cleaned out his shed and it had Deer Mouse droppings in it.

Knowledge is power and in this case, it can save your life!

 

[Scooby074]

Is this a common disease up here in Canada? Ive never heard of a case here in NS. I always thought it was more associated with the southern states?

 

[Egon]

Anyplace you got Deer Mice there is the probability.

Note: Bat droppings can also cause medical problems.

 

[Soundguy]

man am i glad i have like 10 cats... finally good for something..

 

[tcartwri]

Is this a common disease up here in Canada? Ive never heard of a case here in NS. I always thought it was more associated with the southern states?

They claim anything west of Ontario, but the house mice we have here look exactly like the deer mouse that's the biggest carrier. I tore down an old chicken coop two summers ago and I had a full respirator and heavy leather gloves on for most of it. Still spent allot of time in the dust plumes as it was coming down.

 

[Scooby074]

Good to know

 

[dusty3030]

man am i glad i have like 10 cats... finally good for something..

Pic of Soundguy.

 

[WM75Guy]

Here are the states where exposures have occurred from 1993-2012. Source is the CDC. It is more widespread than most people think.

CDC - Hantavirus

 

[Jerry Genesio]

Tim: Just last week I finished an article about "hantavirus" that will be published in an upcoming issue of the National Wildlife Control Operators Association newsletter. It's a nasty virus that first appeared in the U.S. in 1993 and of the 616 cases that have been reported since then, 38% have been fatal. There is no specific treatment, cure, or vaccine for the infection. The advice you offer concerning the cleaning of seldom used buildings is well worth heeding.

 

[Western]

Here is another set of maps for various carrier mice/rats from the CDC that shows where the animals inhabit, so I would assume anyone could be exposed at some point.

CDC - Rodents in the U.S. that Carry Hantavirus - Hantavirus

 

[texasjohn]

yep, that would say that if you are in the US (or places in Canada/Mexico) then there are rodents in your area which are carriers for the virus...agggggh....makes me want to be a cat hoarder!!

 

[KTurner]

Here are the states where exposures have occurred from 1993-2012. Source is the CDC. It is more widespread than most people think.

CDC - Hantavirus

View attachment 300115

Not to belittle anyone's loss, but a little perspective. 660 deaths in two decades is not exactly widespread - Lightning kills three times that many on average. I wonder if the mortality rate is overinflated due to hantavirus infections that are mistaken as the flu. There has to be a certain level of infection in the rodent population for this to have spread across the US. And look at the number of people that come in contact with rodents/droppings. It just seems like a lot more people should have caught this, and under-reporting due to similarity of the flu sounds like a logical explanation.

Just thinking out loud, I'm not qualified or anything.

Keith

 

[Soundguy]

Pic of Soundguy.

never had the curly 70's hair.

plus that guy is way too young.. and doesn't have a 8" beard and tons of grey hair now.

 

[Soundguy]

at least florid is on t he low side wish that 1 was 0

i see texas is a hotbed.

 

[dmccarty]

I read an interesting report about Hantavirus years ago. I think it might have been back in the early 90's when there was an outbreak of Hantavirus. The Indians out west have some interesting beliefs that match pretty closely on how the virus is spread. One of their traditions is to keep a clean house to keep out mice which of course would minimize the chance of getting the virus. They also would burn clothing that might have been exposed to mice urine or saliva. They also were not to move suddenly or swat at movement in the night since it might make them sick. This would minimize Hantavirus because swatting at a mouse crossing your bed might cause it to pee and spread the virus. The Indians also connected people getting sick with above normal rainfall which would increase the mouse population.

All of the above was told in mythological terms that matched the spread of the illness. Supposedly, the indians also have some tradational medicines that are effective against Hantavirus. Which I had a Kindle a few decades ago because I would have saved that report.

Later,
Dan