20 Nov
2004
20 Nov
'04
7:06 a.m.
On Sat, 20 Nov 2004, Lee Courtney wrote:
It should also be noted that Hantavirus is most prominent in the
southwestern states of the US. I'm surprised to find any cases at all in
Washington state.
Here's some data for California:
A total of 13 (8 fatal) California residents have been diagnosed with HPS
dating back to 1980. Since January 1, 1994, 8 (3 fatal) cases have been
documented. Two new HPS cases were identified during September [1995]...
http://www.yvwiiusdinvnohii.net/news/nehealth.htm
Old data (circa 1995) but I'm sure you get the idea of the rarity of
Hantavirus in California, for example.
The conclusion is that, yes, you should always be careful, but Hantavirus
is not ubiquitous, and you shouldn't panic if you accidentally come in
contact with rodent poop.
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From Mark
Crispin's web page
(http://staff.washington.edu/mrc/important.html) -
"As of March 2000, twenty-one cases of Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPV)
have been reported in Washington State. About 42% of the victims die of HPV.
The carrier is the insidiously cute deer mouse, which has big ears, big
eyes, a white belly, white feet, and a tail with sharply defined white
sides. If you find mouse droppings or mouse nesting material, resist the
urge to sweep it up! You'll kick up tiny particles of mouse urine,
droppings, and saliva into the air, a process known as aerosolization, and
you'll breath it in. If Hantavirus is in those particles, you've set
yourself up to get HPV. Instead, wear a mask and rubber gloves, and
carefully wet down the area with a disinfectant that kills virus (such as
bleach). Take up the contaminated materials with a damp towel, then mop the
area with disinfectant."