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Preventive Medicine Department >
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Environmental Health
Hantavirus Information
Hantavirus:
Hantavirus is carried by rodents, especially deer mice. The virus is
found in their urine and feces, but it does not make the animal
sick.
Reported cases in Southern Colorado 2010-2011:
Two
reported Hantavirus cases in Colorado in 2011, with one death. Both
cases were women in their 20s. In 2010, there were five reported
Hantavirus cases with three deaths. Colorado averages about four
cases a year.
Hantavirus Cases at Fort Carson:
To date, no cases have been reported on Fort Carson. However, deer
mice, the primary carrier of Hantavirus, are common on Fort Carson.
Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS):
HPS is a serious respiratory disease carried by certain wild
rodents, mainly deer mice, and is passed to humans through contact
with a rodent’s infected urine, droppings, or saliva. Breathing in
contaminated dust is the most common form of transmission. Rodent
infestation in and around the home and outdoor storage remains the
primary risk for Hantavirus exposure. There are no documented cases
of person-to-person transmission in North America.
Hantavirus Symptoms:
Early
symptoms include fever, headache, and muscle pain, severe abdominal,
joint and lower back pain, nausea, and vomiting. A cough and
shortness of breath usually develops 1 to 5 days after onset of
symptoms. The primary symptom of HPS is difficulty breathing due to
fluid build-up in the lungs. This can quickly progress to
respiratory failure. The incubation period varies, but ranges from
1-6 weeks, with an average of 2-3 weeks.
Prevention:
Areas contaminated by
rodent feces or areas that are rarely cleaned (i.e. behind the
refrigerator or washer), should first be dampened with a bleach
disinfectant (one part household bleach plus nine parts water, i.e.
100 ml bleach plus 900 ml water or 7 Tablespoons bleach to 3 ¾ cups
of water). Remove droppings and clean area by damp mopping after
dampening the area with the bleach disinfectant. This practice will
keep mouse urine and feces from aerosolizing. Additionally, wear
plastic or rubber gloves as well as full-length clothing during
clean-up. After removal of gloves, ensure to wash hands and lower
arms, as well as washing your face and laundering your clothes.
Hantavirus Testing:
Detection
of hantavirus-specific immunoglobulin M or rising titers of
hantavirus-specific immunoglobulin G, or detection of
hantavirus-specific ribonucleic acid by polymerase chain reaction in
clinical specimens, or detection of hantavirus antigen by
immunohistochemistry.
Request Pest Control or for More Information:
For on
post housing the service order desk number for Balfour Beatty is
(719) 579-1605.
For Evans
Army Community Hospital issues or for more information please
contact Environmental Health at (719) 526-7922.
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TB Information
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Building 7520
Fort Carson, CO 80913
On the south side of
Evans Army Community Hospital
719.524.0730 / 526.3231
Fax: 719.524.4233
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