Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, or HPS, is a fatal disease contracted from rodents. Humans can contract the disease after contact with infected rodents or their droppings and urine. Despite the rare cases involved with HPS, it is a deadly disease.

Hantavirus Carriers

Deer mice, cotton rats, rice rats, roof rats, pack rats and the white-footed mouse are all carriers of Hantaviruses. The deer mouse, which ranges in color from reddish brown to gray, is deceivingly furry and cute. These mice live pretty much everywhere in North America, particularly in desert regions and woodlands. The cotton rat lives in the southeastern area of the U.S. and is larger than the deer mouse, with coarser fur and a grayish brown color.

Rice rats have long tails, short grayish brown fur and live in marshy areas. The white-footed mouse is smaller and found along the Atlantic seaboard. Pack rats, which get their name from a propensity to collect bright and shiny objects, are also fuzzier than other rodents.

Wood rats, on the other hand, have scalier tails and tend to infest homes in the southwestern regions. Although other rodents may carry strains of Hantavirus, they have yet to be identified.

Transmitting Hantavirus

Rodents release the virus in their droppings, urine and saliva. Humans often get the disease when they breathe contaminated air through the process of “aerosolization.” It’s easier to contract the virus in mustier places with lots of dust, such as in an old storage room or shed.

Hantavirus also spreads through the rodent directly biting a human, if a human makes contact with contaminated urine or droppings or if they eat food that has been contaminated by an infected rat. HPS in the U.S. cannot be transmitted from one person to another. If you touch or kiss someone with HPS, you cannot become infected. You also cannot get HPS from a blood transfusion.

Moreover, Hantavirus in the U.S. does not transmit through other animals. Hence, you cannot get the disease from insects that live with rodents.

Protecting Yourself From Hantavirus

In order to prevent the spread of the disease, rodent proofing and rodent control in and around the home is crucial. Avoid close contact with all rodents. Disinfecting areas infested by rodents will help prevent transmitting the virus. If you find that there’s an infestation in your home, call a rodent control agency right away and disinfect anywhere you think may have been contaminated.