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Michigan health officials are reporting the state’s first confirmed human case of sinus hantavirus, a disease spread by rodents, but not between individuals.
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) said an adult woman in Washtenaw County was recently hospitalized with serious lung disease from Sin Nombre hantavirus. MDHHS said the person was likely exposed when cleaning an unoccupied dwelling that had signs of active rodent infestation.
Hantavirus was first discovered to be responsible for hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) in sick patients in the southwestern United States in 1993. Since then, hantavirus has infected people throughout the United States and the Americas. Hantavirus infection is associated with household, occupational, or recreational activities that bring humans into contact with infected rodents. Most cases have been identified in adults and tend to occur in the spring and summer.
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“HPS is caused by some strains of hantavirus and is a rare but severe and sometimes fatal respiratory disease that can occur one to five weeks after a person is exposed to fresh urine, droppings, or saliva of infected rodents,” said Dr. Johnny Khaldoon. Chief Medical Officer and Vice President of Health at MDHHS. “Anyone who comes into contact with rodents that carry hantavirus is at risk of HPS and health care providers with a suspected case of hantavirus should contact their local health department to report the case and discuss options for confirmatory testing.”
Humans become infected when freshly dried material contaminated with rodent excreta is inhaled or inhaled, cracks in the skin or mucous membranes occur, or when contaminated food or water is ingested. Rodent bites can also transmit hantavirus. The highest exposure risk occurs when entering or cleaning rodent-infested structures. There are no documented person-to-person cases of Hantavirus transmission in the United States
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Symptoms of HPS can be nonspecific at first and include fever, chills, body aches, headache, and gastrointestinal signs such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain. The disease can progress to include coughing and shortness of breath. HPS has a 40% mortality rate.
“We can prevent and reduce the risk of hantavirus infection by taking precautions and predicting the likelihood of infection,” says Dr. Juan Luis Marques, medical director of the Washtenau County Department of Health. “Use rubber, latex, vinyl, or nitrile gloves when cleaning rodent-infested areas, ventilate the areas for at least 30 minutes before working, and be sure to wet the areas well with a disinfectant or chlorine solution before cleaning.”
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Hantavirus cycle. (NSF)
Hantaviruses are a family of viruses spread mainly by wild rodents and occur worldwide. Several hantaviruses that can infect people have been identified in the United States, and each hantavirus has a primary rodent host. The most important hantavirus in the United States that causes HPS is the Sin Nombre virus, which is spread by the deer rat and the white-footed rat.
The greatest risk of hantavirus infection is associated with opening or cleaning enclosed buildings with rodent infestations without proper protection. Healthcare providers with a suspected case of hantavirus should contact their local health department to report the case and discuss options for confirmatory testing.
Hantaviruses are viruses and are affected by most disinfectants (dilute chlorine solutions, general purpose household cleaners and disinfectants including those based on phenols, quaternary ammonium compounds, and hypochlorites). Depending on environmental conditions, these viruses are likely to survive less than one week in indoor environments and much shorter periods (hours) when exposed to sunlight outdoors. Special precautions should be taken when cleaning up after rodents. In cases of severe rodent infestation, it is recommended to consult a pest control professional.
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Comparison of COVID-19 and Hantavirus Lung Syndrome (CDC)
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