A suspected hantavirus infection has been reported in King County in the state of Washington. Hantavirus causes the deadly lung disease hantavirus pulmonary syndrome and the virus is spread by rodents.

According to health care sources, an Issaquah woman in her 50s has been hospitalized and she is in intensive care.

The death of an Issaquah man was reported this year from the disease. The woman is improving in intensive care and if HPS is confirmed, there is a possibility that more cases could follow.

Symptoms Of Hantavirus Infection

According to doctors, hantavirus infection symptoms are almost similar to flu in the beginning and show up one to eight weeks after the virus is inhaled.

The fever will be accompanied by a headache, muscle pain, fatigue, vomiting, and nausea. Further, it will escalate into breathing difficulties.

Dr. Jeff Duchin of Public Health-Seattle and King County noted that a third of people who contract the disease usually die. The worrying part is that people who get the viral infection are mostly healthy without any record of hard health conditions. Immediate medical care is recommended to save lives.

The common carrier of the hantavirus is the deer mouse found in the forests of North America. The animal is not found in urban areas but it may come into human contact at areas closer to forests and mountains, Duchin said.

"If the risk is elevated, it will stay that way for months because this is breeding season for deer mice," he said.

Hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome is another major disease caused by hantavirus.

People Warned About Infection From Rat Droppings

People have been warned by health officials to prevent mice from entering their homes or cars.

"The greatest risk is when people stir up dust that is contaminated with droppings from rodents and that dust is breathed in, and causes the infection," said Duchin.

Rainfall causes the mice to increase in numbers and may drive more mice to areas of human contact, Duchin cautioned.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also warned that rodent control must be a primary strategy to prevent hantavirus infection.

Meanwhile, physician Dr. Troy Madsen suggested some tips to stay safe from hantavirus infection. He called for more care while doing spring cleaning in case mouse droppings are spotted, as these may expose people to the lethal virus.

He also cited the big outbreak of hantavirus at Yosemite from a virus carried in the dried urine of rats.

While sweeping homes the mouse droppings and mouse urine usually mix up and the droppings aerosolize the latter. Once dry urine particles are up in the air they may enter the lungs of people and cause severe lung infection.

How To Neutralize Hantavirus In Mouse Droppings

Madsen offered some tips to handle mouse droppings at home when they are spotted during cleaning. He advises not sweeping them away and doing these instead:

1. Get some water, pour bleach in a 1:10 ratio.
2. Apply the mixture using a spray bottle or pour it on the mouse droppings and dried urine to make the area wet.

The bleach will neutralize the virus, and because the area is wet when wiped down, it won't create an aerosol from the dry urine that can be breathed in.