Amid the recent hantavirus outbreak on the MV Hondius cruise ship, health experts are now considering the possibility of Americans encountering the virus in everyday environments without even realizing it. The rare Andes strain, which was linked to the cruise ship outbreak, is the only known hantavirus capable of spreading from person to person, typically through prolonged close contact with an infected individual.
Most hantavirus cases in the U.S. are concentrated in the desert southwest and along the west coast, according to Dr. Linda Yancey, an infectious disease specialist. The Bayou strain, native to east Texas and west Louisiana, is less infectious in humans compared to the Sin Nombre strain found in the west.
Hantavirus is primarily transmitted through contact with infected rodents, especially deer mice, and their urine, droppings, or saliva. People can become infected by inhaling contaminated particles or touching contaminated surfaces and then touching their nose or mouth. Rodent bites are a less common mode of transmission.
Health officials emphasize that exposure is most likely when cleaning enclosed or poorly ventilated areas where rodents may have nested for extended periods. Risky locations include garages, sheds, cabins, attics, barns, and crawl spaces. Storage units, stables, kitchen cabinets, and spaces behind appliances are also potential sources of exposure if rodents are present.
Rodents can also nest in unused cars, RVs, campers, and boats, posing a risk when these areas are reopened. The National Park Service notes that most human cases occur in the spring, linked to buildings heavily infested with rodents over the winter.
The risk of inhalation is heightened when opening unused buildings, sweeping dusty floors, or moving and unpacking boxes. Dr. Yancey advises wearing a mask and using a diluted bleach solution to wet down dust or loose debris when cleaning structures that may have harbored rodents, as this helps kill the virus and reduce infectious dust.
The CDC recommends against vacuuming or sweeping rodent urine, droppings, or nesting materials, as this can aerosolize the virus. Instead, they suggest wearing gloves, soaking droppings with disinfectant, wiping them up with paper towels, proper waste disposal, and thorough surface cleaning, followed by handwashing.
Signs of rodent activity include droppings, shredded nesting materials, gnaw marks, strong musky odors, and scratching sounds in walls or ceilings. Dr. Marc Siegel, a Fox News senior medical analyst, notes that hantavirus is not commonly encountered in daily life in the U.S. and is more prevalent in certain parts of Europe and Asia. He stresses the importance of avoiding overpersonalization of the risk associated with a rare virus.
