2023-08-31 21:15:00
In L’State of Nevadathe Washoe County Health District (WCHD) reports a confirmed case of hantavirus in a resident of the county of Washoe. The case is of a man in his 60s who was hospitalized after being exposed to rodent droppings a few weeks earlier. The person’s condition is not known and the investigation is ongoing. This is the first reported case of hantavirus in Washoe County since November 2022. The last death from hantavirus was reported in December 2020.
In L’Etat de Washington, King County health authorities, say they are investigating a case of hantavirus in a teenager residing in King County. This individual was hospitalized in early August and is currently recovering. The patient reported being exposed to an infestation of mice in his home.Issaquah and being bitten by a rodent in the woods of a residential area in Issaquah, Washington. The Seattle and King County Public Health Department says that since 1997, six people have been diagnosed with hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) and were most likely infected in King County. Prior to the current case, the most recent case in King County was in December 2021. In Washington State, hantavirus is carried only by deer mice.
Reminders on Hantavirus of the new world
In the United States, the hantavirus disease surveillance began in 1993 during an outbreak of severe respiratory disease in the Four Corners region – the area where Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah meet. Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) became a nationally notifiable disease in 1995 and is now reported by the nationally notifiable disease surveillance system. Since 2015, cases of non-pulmonary hantavirus infection are also reported. At the end of 2021, 850 cases of hantavirus disease have been reported in the United States since surveillance began in 1993. These are laboratory-confirmed cases which include HPS (821 cases) and non-pulmonary hantavirus infection (19 cases).
Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome is a severe lung disease caused by hantavirus, a virus belonging to the Bunyaviridae family. Symptoms usually occur 2-4 weeks after exposure to the virus. The first symptoms are fatigue, fever, muscle aches, headaches. Then 1 to 5 days after the onset of symptoms occurs hantavirus pulmonary syndrome which combines cough and difficulty breathing.
There is no specific treatment or vaccine.
The reservoir animal is a rodent whose species varies according to the regions of the world. Humans are accidental hosts of these viruses, which can be transmitted by inhalation of aerosols contaminated with feces or urine of infected rodents or by direct contact with living or dead infected rodents or with feces or urine. of these rodents.
Prevention
The best way to protect yourself is to avoid coming into contact with deer mice and their droppings, urine or saliva. They are attracted to places where they can find food, water and shelter.
Outside
Always store food, water and garbage in metal or heavy plastic containers with tight fitting lids. Do not leave food or water for your dog or cat outside overnight. Caulk doors, windows and roofs with steel wool or cement. To prevent mice from digging burrows, put gravel around the foundation. Get rid of abandoned vehicles, old tires or discarded furniture that is on your land. Prune thick bushes and cut grass often. Do not place cords of wood, hay and garbage cans on the ground; keep them away from your home. When hiking or camping, use a groundsheet or tent with a door. Avoid places where rodents have burrowed or left droppings. Consume bottled water or purified water.
Inside
Place traps inside. Douse dead mice, used traps and nests with household disinfectant or diluted bleach. Always wear rubber or plastic gloves when handling dead rodents or materials they have come into contact with. Place the rodents in a plastic bag, close it well and place it in an airtight garbage can. You can also bury the rodents. Before removing the gloves, rinse them with disinfectant or diluted bleach. Wash them in hot, soapy water and wash your hands. Always wear rubber gloves when cleaning an area where mice have left traces. Open the windows and doors half an hour before and after cleaning, to ventilate the area well. Wet the floor to reduce the amount of dust released. Wash the floor with soapy water and disinfectant. Do not vacuum or sweep the floor before washing it. Wear a breathing mask if the area is poorly ventilated. Wash tables, drawers and cupboards with disinfectant. Wash clothes and bedding contaminated with feces. Dry them in the sun or in a dryer set on high. After cleaning, wash your hands and face before drinking, eating or smoking. Don’t attract mice. Always clean up spilled or fallen food. After eating, do the dishes immediately.
Source : Outbreak News Today
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