April 11, 2008
Hantavirus Death Reported in Montana
The Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) announced today that the recent death of a 64-year-old male from Big Horn County was due to hantavirus pulmonary syndrome.
This is the eighth reported death from hantavirus since this disease was first identified in Montana in 1993, said DPHHS disease surveillance specialist Elton Mosher. It’s also the first reported case from Big Horn County.
The state Public Health Laboratory confirmed the diagnosis of hantavirus infection earlier this week.
Hantavirus is contracted by inhaling airborne particles from dried droppings, urine, or saliva of infected deer mice. It is not contagious from person to person, nor is it known to be transmitted by farm animals, dogs, cats, or rodents purchased from pet stores.
Since 1993, 29 cases of hantavirus infection, including the eight deaths, have been reported in Montana.
Other counties in which hantavirus have been reported are Missoula, Valley, Beaverhead, Cascade, Custer, Flathead, Gallatin, Glacier, Lewis and Clark, Madison, Phillips, Powell, Sanders, Stillwater, Sweetgrass, Toole, and Yellowstone.
“Hantavirus can occur anywhere small rodents live,” Mosher said. “So far in Montana the disease has been primarily associated with rural settings with outbuildings and big mice populations. Montanans should be aware of the precautions they can take to help avoid hantavirus.”
Mosher explains that anything that puts you in contact with fresh rodent urine, droppings, saliva or nesting material puts you at risk for infection. “And, that includes sweeping out your garage, barn, or summer vacation home, or sleeping in rodent-infested areas while camping,” Mosher added.
Hantavirus infection is characterized by fever, muscle and body aches, chills, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and fatigue. If the pulmonary syndrome develops, the victim's lungs begin to fill with fluid, making breathing difficult and causing shortness of breath.
There is no specific cure or vaccine for hantavirus, but if infections are recognized early and patients receive medical care, sometimes in an intensive care unit, they are more likely to do well.
Mosher said people can help prevent hantavirus by keeping mice out of their homes and workplaces.
"You should seal all openings in your foundation, even those as small as the diameter of a pencil," he said. "Keep food, pet food, and garbage in rodent-proof containers, and keep firewood at least 100 feet from your home and raised up off the ground."
He recommended that people take the following precautions when cleaning up rodent droppings or urine:
- Do not sweep or vacuum rodent droppings or nests. This will disperse virus particles into the air, where they can be breathed into the lungs.
- Before cleaning a space, ventilate the area by opening doors and windows for at least 30 minutes to diffuse any potentially infectious material that is airborne.
- Wear rubber, latex, vinyl, or nitrile gloves.
- Spray droppings and urine with a bleach solution made by mixing 1 part household bleach with nine parts clean water. Make sure to wet the material thoroughly and wait 5 minutes for it to soak.
- Use rags or paper towels to wipe up the droppings or urine and seal them in a plastic bag before disposing of them.
- Mop or sponge the area with a disinfectant or bleach solution.
- Spray dead rodents with bleach solution and then double-bag them with all cleaning materials. Dispose of all materials through an appropriate waste disposal system.
- Wash gloved hands with soap and water or spray a disinfectant or bleach solution on gloves before removing them. Drop the gloves into a plastic bag, seal it, and discard.
- Wash hands with soap and water after removing the gloves.
If you have been exposed to deer mice and develop the symptoms mentioned above, see your doctor immediately, Mosher said. Be sure to inform him or her of possible rodent exposure.
Additional information is also available at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention web site at http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/hanta/hps/index.htm
For more information contact Mosher at 406-444-0273 or visit your local health department.
