Hantavirus: Spread, prevention and risks

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• How hantavirus spreads
• Preventing hantavirus
• Risks of getting hantavirus
• Subscribe to the Zoonoses Bulletin

How hantavirus spreads

Hantaviruses are found around the world and are spread by rodents, such as mice and rats, most often through their droppings, urine and saliva.

You can get a hantavirus infection when you:

• inhale virus particles from infected rodent droppings, urine or saliva that have been released into the air
  • this can happen when rodent waste or nesting material is stirred up from vacuuming or sweeping
• touch objects, surfaces or eat food contaminated with the urine, droppings or saliva from infected rodents
• are bitten by a rodent infected with a hantavirus
• have contact with a person with Andes virus infection

The Andes virus

The Andes virus, mainly found in South America, is the only strain of hantavirus with evidence of possible limited person-to-person transmission.

While the risk of Andes virus is low in Canada, use personal protective measures to prevent the spread of the viruses, including various strains of hantavirus. For example, regularly wash your hands and cover your cough when sick.

Rodents that can spread hantaviruses

Different types of rodents can carry different types of hantaviruses. In North America, 5 rodents are known to carry hantaviruses:

1. deer mouse
2. white-footed mouse
3. red-backed vole
4. rice rat
5. cotton rat

The deer mouse, white-footed mouse and red-backed vole are widespread in parts of Canada. Other rodents around the world are also carriers of a variety of hantaviruses. For this reason, it is best to avoid close contact with rodents in Canada and abroad.

Preventing hantavirus

There's no vaccine or antiviral medication to prevent hantavirus infection.

To reduce your risk of hantavirus infection:

• prevent rodent infestations
• stay away from rodents and their droppings, urine, saliva and nesting material
• properly clean and disinfect areas contaminated by rodent droppings, urine and saliva

Keep your home, workplace, cottage and campsite rodent-free. All rodent droppings, urine, saliva and nesting materials are potentially harmful. You should:

• keep your yard clean
• place rodent control devices, such as mousetraps, throughout buildings
• block openings that might let rodents in
  • seal holes with wire screening, steel wool, metal flashing or cement
• move stacked woodpiles and compost bins away from buildings
• store food, water and garbage in containers with tightly fitted lids

Properly clean and disinfect areas contaminated by rodent droppings, urine and saliva. Follow these steps:

• wear rubber or plastic gloves
• if you're cleaning in a confined space, wear a N95-level respirator (NIOSH approvals) or Class CA-N95 respirator (Canadian Standards approvals)
• do not sweep or vacuum rodent droppings
  • this will release particles into the air, which you could then breathe in
• spray droppings, nesting materials and the surrounding area
  • use a Heath Canada-approved surface disinfectant or a mixture of 1 part bleach to 9 parts water
  • let the area soak for 10 minutes to allow time for the virus to be killed
• wipe up wet droppings and other materials with paper towels or a wet mop
• wash gloves in disinfectant and hot soapy water before taking them off
• dispose of contaminated items in double plastic bags, seal the bag and place in the trash, according to local by-laws
  • for example, gloves, masks, cleaning materials, dead rodents, nesting materials
• if a wet mop was used to clean the area, use disinfectant and hot soapy water to clean the mop
• wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water
  • if soap and water aren't available, use a hand sanitizer containing at least 60% alcohol

If buildings or areas are heavily infested and contaminated by rodents, consider hiring a professional cleaning company to safely clean and disinfect the area.

Learn more:

• Health Canada-approved surface disinfectants
• Respiratory infectious diseases: Reduce your risk

Risks of getting hantavirus

Hantavirus infections are rare. The risk of hantavirus infection in Canada or in other parts of the world is low. The risk of infection and the ways you may be exposed to hantavirus vary by the location where you were exposed and the type of hantavirus involved.

The Andes virus, mainly found in South America, is the only strain of hantavirus with evidence of possible limited person-to-person transmission.

Anyone who comes into contact with rodents carrying a hantavirus or has contact with areas that have been contaminated by rodent droppings, urine, or saliva, is at risk. Even healthy people can develop a hantavirus infection and become seriously ill.

You may have a higher risk of hantavirus infection if you're exposed to rodent habitats in and around your:

• home
• trailer
• cottage
• campsite
• farm buildings
• construction sites
• garden and storage sheds

Subscribe to the Zoonoses Bulletin

The Zoonoses Bulletin is an email subscription list that provides regular updates from the Public Health Agency of Canada on zoonotic diseases and related public health issues. Topics may include:

• hantavirus
• avian influenza
• tick and mosquito-borne diseases
• other infectious diseases that can spread between animals and people

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