A deer mouse collected in Cuyamaca Rancho State Park earlier this month tested positive for hantavirus, a potentially deadly virus that can infect people, county officials said Monday.
Officials said while people are rarely exposed to hantavirus, it’s not uncommon to find infected rodents — 25 of them were found in San Diego County last year. The latest discovery of an infected animal on Jan. 3 prompted health officials to warn residents about being around wild rodents and their waste.
The hantavirus is one of a family of viruses spread by rodents and it is shed through their urine, feces and saliva, officials said. When the matter dries, the virus can become airborne as people unknowingly stir it into the air and breathe it in.
Symptoms of the virus usually develop between one to eights weeks after exposure and include severe muscle aches, chills, fever, fatigue, headaches, dizziness, nausea and difficulty breathing.
County officials warned people to avoid sweeping or vacuuming if they find dead rodents, rodent nests or other signs of rodents in their homes.
In order to lessen their risk of exposure, officials told residents to take care of any infestations immediately and by using “wet cleaning” methods, such as soaking any rodents or waste in disinfectant and cleaning with a sponge or mop while the person wears gloves. The area should be well ventilated while cleaning, officials said.
The waste should then be placed into plastic bags, and discarded in the trash, officials said. Cleaning supplies should be soaked in disinfectant and hands should then be thoroughly washed afterwards.
Although hantavirus infections are rare, fatality rates are high. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 864 people caught the virus from 1993 through 2020. About a third of those people died.
