![]() ![]() People who are sick from HPS may at first think they have the flu. Insect bites will not make you sick and you will not get HPS from another person. People may get sick when they touch or breathe dust from where there are rodent droppings (feces) or urine. Even though not all rodents have the virus, it is difficult to properly identify mice so all rodents should be avoided. The virus does not make rodents sick, but people who come into close contact with rodents may get sick. Other rodents including the cactus mouse, pinon mouse, brush mouse, canyon mouse, and western harvest mouse may also be infected with this virus but in much lower numbers. About 12 percent of the Deer mice that have been tested were found to be infected with the virus. In Southern Nevada the common deer mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus) appears to be responsible for the spread of the disease at elevations above 5,000 feet. Although uncommon, the virus can also be passed to humans through a rodent bite. In the United States, Hantavirus infection is usually spread by inhaling the virus, which is in the droppings, urine and saliva of infected rodents. Even healthy individuals are at risk for HPS infection if exposed to the virus. Rodent infestation in and around the home remains the primary risk for hantavirus exposure. ![]() Although rare, HPS is potentially deadly.Īnyone who comes into contact with rodents that carry hantavirus is at risk of HPS. HPS was first recognized in 1993 and has since been identified throughout the United States. Humans can contract the disease when they breathe in aerosolized virus. Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) is a serious respiratory disease transmitted by infected rodents through urine, droppings or saliva. ![]()
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