By County News Center
San Diego, CA–A deer mouse collected from an open nature area in Campo during routine monitoring has tested positive for the potentially deadly hantavirus, County Health officials said.
Hantavirus found in wild rodents is not uncommon in San Diego County, officials said.
There were a total of 11 cases in 2022. However, people rarely come into direct contact with infected animals because wild rodents naturally avoid humans.
While exposure to the hantavirus is rare, people should be careful around wild rodents as there is no cure or vaccine for the hantavirus.
Symptoms of hantavirus usually develop between 1 to 8 weeks after exposure. It includes severe muscle aches, chills, fever or fatigue, headache or dizziness, nausea, vomiting or stomach pain, and difficulty breathing.
Anyone who may have been exposed to hantavirus should seek medical attention immediately.
People can be exposed to hantavirus when wild rodents invade their living area. Infected rodents shed the virus in their urine, poop, and saliva. Once the matter dries, it can be stirred into the air where people could inhale the virus.
If people find wild rodents, nests, or signs of them in their living spaces, they should always use “wet cleaning” methods — using bleach or other disinfectants, rubber gloves, and bags. They should not sweep or vacuum, which could stir hantavirus into the air where it could be inhaled.
To avoid exposure to hantavirus, residents should seal up all external holes in homes, garages, and sheds larger than a dime to keep rodents from getting in. Also, avoid rodent-infested areas and do not sweep, vacuum, stir up dust or materials that may be contaminated with rodent poop and urine. Ventilate the affected area by opening doors and windows for at least 30 minutes before starting to clean.
Residents can clean up rodent poop and urine using the “wet cleaning” method by using gloves and a spray with 10 percent bleach solution or other disinfectants onto dead rodents, rodent poop, nests, contaminated traps, and surrounding areas, then let the disinfectant stand for at least 15 minutes before cleaning. Clean the area with a sponge or a mop that has been soaked in disinfectant. When cleaning is completed, place disinfected rodents and debris into two plastic bags, seal them and discard them in the trash. Wash gloves in a bleach solution, then soap and water, and dispose of them using the same double-bag method. Hands should be washed thoroughly with soap and water.
For more information, contact the County Department of Environmental Health and Quality (DEHQ) at (858) 694-2888 or visit the DEHQ hantavirus web page.
