Heidelberg (dpa / lsw) – Anyone who wants to get garden furniture out of the hut, clear out the attic or sweep the garage when the temperatures rise should watch out for the hantavirus. The health department of the Rhein-Neckar district warns of infection by the bank vole. The infected animals excrete the virus in their saliva, urine and faeces. Outside the host, the viruses can remain infectious for several weeks. Therefore, the viruses can be inhaled together with the dust thrown up or enter the body via the mucous membranes even without direct contact with the mouse.
According to the health department, an infection usually goes unnoticed or only with mild symptoms. According to the authorities, flu-like symptoms with sudden onset of fever, headache and back pain or nausea and vomiting are also possible. In severe cases, kidney dysfunction up to kidney failure can occur.
If an illness is suspected, the family doctor should be consulted. According to the health department, there is no vaccination or special drug therapy once morest hantaviruses, but fever or flu-like pain can be treated with drugs.
For a carefree spring cleaning, gloves and masks should be worn, rooms aired 30 minutes before cleaning, and surfaces dampened to reduce dust raising. Mouse carcasses and excrement should be wetted with commercially available disinfectants before disposal.
According to the Robert Koch Institute, the name “Hantavirus” is derived from the Korean river Hantan-gang. During the Korean War in the early 1950s, several thousand soldiers fell ill with a severe fever. The virus responsible for the disease was later identified and given the name “Hantaan”.
