About this topic
Hantavirus is a germ carried by mice and other wild rodents. It causes a serious lung disease called hantavirus pulmonary syndrome or HPS. Mice shed the germs in their urine, droppings, or saliva. It is also in their nests. People come in contact with these germs when they breathe in tiny droplets of moisture in the air that has the virus in it. This can happen if there are fresh droppings nearby. Some people are infected if they are bitten by a mouse that carries the virus. Others may get sick if they eat food that has been contaminated by mouse droppings. You cannot get this illness from another person. ‚
What care is needed at home?
- Ask your doctor what you need to do when you go home. Make sure you ask questions if you do not understand what the doctor says. This way you will know what you need to do.
- Drink at least 6 to 8 glasses of fluids each day. This will help prevent fluid loss. Good fluids to drink are water, sports drinks, and oral electrolyte solutions that you can buy at most supermarkets or drugstores.
- Heat may help ease your muscle pain. Put a heating pad on your sore area for no more than 20 minutes at a time. Never go to sleep with a heating pad on as this can cause burns.
- You may need to have the place where there are a lot of mice thoroughly cleaned. You may also need help getting rid of the mice. This will help to make sure you do not return to the same conditions.
What follow-up care is needed?
Your doctor may ask you to make visits to the office to check on your progress. Be sure to keep these visits. You may need to have a stool test. ‚
What drugs may be needed?
The doctor may order drugs to: ‚
- Help your breathing
- Lower fever
- Help with pain
Will physical activity be limited?
You may have to limit your activity for a while. Talk to your doctor about the right amount of activity for you. ‚
What problems could happen?
- Kidney problems
- Heart and lung problems
What can be done to prevent this health problem?
- Avoid being around mice urine or droppings.
- When camping or hiking:
- Make sure that your drinking water is clean.
- Use ground pads and covers when sleeping on camping grounds.
- Put tents in areas where there are no rodent droppings.
- At home:
- Seal up holes and gaps in your home or garage.
- Set up traps in and around your home to lessen rodent infestation.
- Wash all fruits and vegetables well.
- Wash contaminated hard surfaces with bleach or disinfectant solution.
- When cleaning an unused cabin, shed, or other building:
- Open all the doors and windows for 30 minutes before you begin.
- Go back in and spray surfaces, carpet, nests, and other areas with a disinfectant. Let this sit for 30 minutes.
- Then, begin cleaning. Be sure to wear rubber gloves.
- Wear face masks when cleaning mouse nests and droppings.
When do I need to call the doctor?
- Fever of 100.4 ‚ °F (38 ‚ °C) or higher, chills.
- Deep muscle aches
- You are not feeling better in 2 to 3 days or you are feeling worse
Teach Back: Helping You Understand
The Teach Back Method helps you understand the information we are giving you. The idea is simple. After talking with the staff, tell them in your own words what you were just told. This helps to make sure the staff has covered each thing clearly. It also helps to explain things that may have been a bit confusing. Before going home, make sure you are able to do these: ‚
- I can tell you about my condition.
- I can tell you how to lower my chances of having mice urine or droppings around.
- I can tell you what I will do if I have a fever, chills, or muscle aches.
Where can I learn more?
American Lung Association ‚
http://www.lung.org/lung-disease/hantavirus-pulmonary-syndrome/ ‚
Canadian Lung Association ‚
http://www.lung.ca/diseases-maladies/a-z/hantavirus-hantavirus/index_e.php ‚
Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety ‚
http://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/diseases/hantavir.html ‚
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ‚
http://www.cdc.gov/hantavirus/hps/index.html ‚
National Organization for Rare Disorders ‚
http://www.rarediseases.org/rare-disease-information/rare-diseases/byID/1005/viewAbstract ‚
Consumer Information Use and Disclaimer
This information is not specific medical advice and does not replace information you receive from your health care provider. This is only a brief summary of general information. It does NOT include all information about conditions, illnesses, injuries, tests, procedures, treatments, therapies, discharge instructions or life-style choices that may apply to you. You must talk with your health care provider for complete information about your health and treatment options. This information should not be used to decide whether or not to accept your health care providers advice, instructions or recommendations. Only your health care provider has the knowledge and training to provide advice that is right for you. ‚
Copyright
Copyright ‚ © 2015 Clinical Drug Information, LLC and Lexi-Comp, Inc. ‚