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For Immediate Release Thursday, May 11, 2006
First Hantavirus Case Reported for 2006 - Coloradans
Urged to Take Precautions
DENVER — As warm weather approaches, state health
officials once again are warning Coloradans in the rural part of the
state to be cautious and avoid exposure to hantavirus when doing spring
cleaning and before opening up cabins, buildings, sheds and barns.
This message was highlighted by the confirmation earlier this week of
Colorado’s first hantavirus pulmonary syndrome case of 2006, according
to John Pape, a Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment
epidemiologist who specializes in animal-related diseases.
“Our first case this year follows a record number of cases in 2005,
which totaled 11, one of which was fatal,” he said.
This year’s case involved a Huerfano County man who became ill in late
April and remains hospitalized, but is expected to recover. An
investigation into how he was exposed to the disease is being conducted, Pape said.
He explained that hantavirus is a serious respiratory disease, which can
be fatal. The disease is carried by deer mice, which are rural mice. The
virus can infect humans when they inhale dirt and dust contaminated with
deer mice urine and feces, which occurs when people have contact with
infected mice or stir up dust while working in or cleaning out
rodent-infested structures.
Pape urged people to be particularly careful where there are mouse
droppings and evidence that mice have been in and around the buildings
or nearby wood or junk piles. A large, rapid increase in the number of
mice around a home often precedes a human case, he said.
Two state study sites, in La Plata and Mesa counties, monitor deer mouse
population sizes and hantavirus infection rates. After several years of
low mouse numbers during the drought, data from the studies showed a
rapid rise in the mouse populations in the spring of 2005, suggesting
the potential for an increased number of hantavirus cases.
“The jump in mouse populations and infection rates seen early in 2005
corresponded with our record number of human cases last year,” explained
Pape. “Although the activity at these two sites cannot be used to make
predictions for the entire state, the patterns seen at the study sites
were consistent with reports of increased mouse populations around the
state.”
Pape added that testing at the sites performed in April again showed
high numbers of deer mice compared to prior years and elevated infection
rates early in the season. About 25 percent of the mice at each site
were infected with hantavirus.
Nationally, 10 cases have been confirmed this year, including in Arizona
(4); New Mexico (3); and one each in Texas, South Dakota and Washington.
These cases are the earliest to be reported in a season since the 1993
epidemic that lead to the recognition of hantavirus and how it is
spread.
Pape said, “Several signs are pointing to a potentially higher risk of
hantavirus exposure this year. May, June and July are the months when
most of our human cases occur, so we want to remind people to be aware
of the rodents around their homes and take precautions to protect their
families.
“Before people begin cleaning out building structures that have been
closed up all winter, they need to take precautions, particularly if
there are accumulations of mouse droppings and other signs of mice,”
Pape said.
If live mice are still occupying the structure, Pape said rodent control
should be done before extensive cleaning efforts. The structures should
be ventilated thoroughly and any accumulation of dust, dirt and mouse
droppings should be wet down with a mixture of bleach and water before
any cleaning begins.
Pape emphasized, “Just vacuuming an area without first wetting it down
doesn’t provide the necessary protection.”
He suggested rodent-proofing the home by eliminating food sources for
rodents and removing abandoned vehicles, wood, brush and junk piles
where rodents hide.
“If you are living or staying in rural areas and have deer mice around,
you can assume you and members of your family are at some risk. The more
live mice that are present, the greater the risk although some people
have been infected by directly handling a single mouse,” he said.
Additional precautions that should be taken to provide protection
against hantavirus include:
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Rodent proof buildings by plugging holes or other mouse entryways.
Conduct year-round rodent control, using traps or poisons, or hire a
professional exterminator.
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Make home or work areas unattractive to rodents. Keep indoor areas
clean, especially kitchens. Store food in rodent-proof containers and
properly dispose of garbage in sealed containers. This includes pet,
livestock and bird food.
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Store firewood at least 100 feet from the house. Keep vegetation
around the house well trimmed.
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Open doors or windows to provide good ventilation for 30-to-60 minutes
before cleaning out structures. Avoid stirring up dust by watering down
areas of mouse infestation with a mixture of bleach and water.
Symptoms of Hantavirus
Pape said, “When hantavirus infection is suspected or confirmed, early
admission to a hospital where careful monitoring, treatment of symptoms
and supportive therapy can be provided is most important.”
Pape explained that the small gray house mice commonly found in urban
areas do not carry the disease. Deer mice are brown on top and white
underneath. They have large ears relative to their head size. House mice
on the other hand are all gray and have small ears.
For more information about hantavirus in Boulder County:
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