Texas Panhandle: First hantavirus case of 2014
A Swisher County resident is the first case of Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome in Texas this year according to a recent news release from the Texas Department of State Health Services.
The person has recovered from the infection. The exposure mostly likely happened when dust was stirred up in a rodent-infested barn.
Hantavirus is carried by certain species of rats and mice. The illness is rare. Infected rodents shed the virus in their urine, droppings and saliva. The virus can be transmitted to people when infected rat or mouse urine, saliva, droppings or nesting materials are stirred up, temporarily aerosolizing the virus, which can be breathed in by humans. HPS cases are frequently associated with spring cleaning.
DSHS recommends the following precautions.
- Seal openings that may allow rats and mice to enter homes and workplaces.
- Remove brush, woodpiles, trash and other items that may attract rats and mice.
- Tightly close garbage cans, pet food containers and other food sources.
- Wear protective gloves to handle dead mice and rats or to clean up nesting areas, urine or droppings.
- Before cleaning up nests or droppings found inside, open windows and doors to ventilate the area for at least 30 minutes.
- Do not stir up nests by sweeping or vacuuming. Dampen areas before cleanup.
- Use a disinfectant or 1-to-10 bleach-water mixture to clean up dead rodents, nests, urine and droppings.
Early symptoms of hantavirus infection include fatigue, fever and muscle aches. These symptoms may be accompanied by headaches, dizziness, chills, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain. Later symptoms include coughing and shortness of breath. If hantavirus is suspected, people should contact their health care provider immediately.
Hantavirus does not spread between humans.
A total of 39 HPS cases have been confirmed in Texas since 1993, the first year it was reported, and 14 of those cases resulted in death.