Learning About the Hantavirus

Hantavirus is a relatively rare virus, transmitted by mice, but it has been talked about a lot recently after the death of Betsey Arakawa, Gene Hackman’s wife. What is Hantavirus and how could Betsy Arakawa have been killed by it?

Hantavirus is a virus that causes Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS). The most common way to get hantavirus is from contact with the urine, droppings, or saliva of rodents like mice and rats. A person does not need to come in contact with the actual rodent to get this disease. People most commonly contract hantavirus by breathing in the virus after it has gotten into the air by a person disturbing the rodent excrement through cleaning or simply being in the area. The virus can also be transmitted to a person if they touch contaminated objects and then touch their nose or mouth or eat food contaminated with hantavirus. Lastly, hantavirus can be transmitted by a bite or scratch from an infected rodent, but this is extremely rare.

HPS, the syndrome caused by hantavirus, is a potentially deadly disease, as we unfortunately found out through Ms. Arakawa’s death. The disease starts out with symptoms similar to the flu. Early symptoms include fatigue, fever, and muscle aches. Other symptoms include headache, dizziness, and chills. In some people, approximately four to ten days after the initial symptoms arise, there are additional symptoms which may include coughing, shortness of breath, tightness in chest, and fluid in the lungs. If the disease progresses to this stage there can be serious complications. It is estimated that thirty-eight percent of people who develop this second stage of symptoms may die from the disease.

Although hantavirus is rare, the best way to truly keep yourself safe from hantavirus is to not be exposed to rodents. There are a number of steps you can take to keep rodents out of your house. Sealing cracks and keeping food in sealed containers are a good start. The most effective way to keep rodents out is to work with Cowleys. We know the best and safest way to keep rodents out of a home.  

If rodents have been in your home, and you need to clean up after them, there are some very important steps to take. First, get the right gear. Make sure that you are wearing rubber gloves and a mask while you are cleaning. Choose a mask like an N9 which will help to filter out airborne particles including hantavirus. Before vacuuming or sweeping rodents droppings you should wet them down with a bleach solution. This helps to avoid making the virus particles airborne and therefor easier to inhale.

Hantavirus is very rare, especially here in New Jersey, but many of the precautions you take to keep yourself safe from hantavirus should be observed to keep yourself safe from other rodent borne diseases. Rodents in your home are not just a nuisance, they can be dangerous. The healthiest house is a rodent free house.