Prevention of a hantavirus infection
Current situation
The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) confirmed on May 17 one case of Andes hantavirus in Canada through laboratory testing. This case was reported by the British Columbia Provincial Health Officer on May 16 and was among the passengers on the MV Hondius cruise ship. The individual, as well as other potential contacts in Canada continue to follow public health protocols and be monitored by local public health authorities.
The overall risk to the general population in Canada remains low at this time.
Learn how to prevent being infected by a hantavirus.
How can a hantavirus infection be prevented?
There is no vaccine for hantavirus infection. The key to disease prevention is:
- preventing rodent infestations
- properly cleaning and disinfecting areas contaminated by rodent droppings
Keep your home, workplace, cottage or campsite rodent-free. All rodent droppings are potentially harmful. You should:
- block openings that might let rodents in
- store food, water and garbage in containers with tightly fitted lids
- place mousetraps throughout buildings
- keep your yard clean
- stack woodpiles away from buildings
Properly clean and disinfect areas contaminated by rodent droppings. Follow the steps below.
- Wear rubber or plastic gloves. If you are cleaning in a confined space, wear a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filtered respirator.
- Do not sweep or vacuum rodent droppings. This will release particles into the air, which you could then breathe in.
- Spray droppings with a Health Canada approved household disinfectant or a mixture of 1 part bleach to 9 parts water. Let the area soak for 10 minutes to make sure any virus within the droppings will be killed.
- Wipe up wet droppings with paper towels or a wet mop if dealing with a large area.
- Wash gloves in disinfectant and hot soapy water before taking them off. Afterwards, wash your hands thoroughly.
- If a wet mop was used to clean the area, use disinfectant and hot soapy water to clean the mop.
Know the symptoms of a hantavirus infection. See a health care provider immediately if they develop.