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Hantavirus Prevention

Many who become ill with hantavirus have been in contact with rodents either at home or at work. It is not necessary that an infected person see rodents or their droppings. Hantavirus is not associated with common mice or rats found in most homes, however, it is difficult to tell exactly what type of rodents are around. There may be carrier rodents nearby and steps must be taken to clean up an infestion and rodent-proof your home or workplace.

  1. Safety Precautions

    • When an infestation has set in, you must take extreme caution when cleaning up the area. Always use latex gloves. Do not stir up dust in the infested area by sweeping or vacuuming rodent droppings or other debris. Take either a household detergent or disenfectant and wet the infested area thoroughly. If there are dead rodents, spray them with disenfectant, use two layers of bags for disposal and either burn or bury them. Clean up other contaminated materials and place in proper waste disposal. Once again, spray the area with disenfectant, then disenfect gloves and wash hands with soap and water.

    Indoor Prevention

    • There are a few key methods to preventing hantavirus inside the home. Clean the home on a regular basis, particularly the kitchen area. Wash countertops, floors and dishes frequently and keep all food in rodent-proof containers. Do not leave leftover pet food out overnight and keep a tight lid over the trash can. Since rodents usually run along walls, set traps near baseboards. If you have a particular problem with mice and rats in your home, get an EPA-approved rodenticide. Cover it with plastic and place along baseboards. Rodenticide can be poisonous to pets and humans, so follow instructions carefully when using it.

    Outdoor Prevention

    • The most important method of prevention outdoors is the removal of potential nesting materials. Get rid of brush, grass and other debris around the home's foundation. Any wood piles or trash cans should be at least 100 feet away from the house. You can set rodenticides outdoors as well. Just be extra careful when pets and children are outside.

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