Opening the cottage this May long weekend? Protect yourself against hantavirus, a rare but potentially deadly virus

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The Public Health Agency of Canada reminds people to protect themselves against hantavirus when they're opening their cottages.By Metroland file photo
The unofficial start to Canadian summer is here and for many folks, that means it’s time to open the cottage.

While you do that, the Public Health Agency of Canada reminds people to protect themselves against hantavirus, a virus that is found in rodent urine and droppings, which can have potentially deadly consequences on humans.

The two most common diseases caused by hantavirus infection are hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (found in North and South America) and hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (which is less likely here as it's mainly found in Europe and Asia).

Since 1989, there have been 109 confirmed cases and 27 deaths in Canada due to a hantavirus infection, according to the national agency.

How it spreadsIn North America, the virus is spread by deer mice, cotton rats, rice rats, white-footed mice and red-backed voles.

People can become infected when they:

inhale virus particles from rodent urine, droppings or saliva that have been released into the air (this can happen when rodent waste is stirred up from vacuuming or sweeping)

touch objects, or eat food contaminated with the urine, droppings or saliva of infected rodents

are bitten by a rodent infected with a hantavirus (this is rare).With the exception of the Andes hantavirus, the virus does not spread through person-to-person contact.

SymptomsThere is no vaccine for hantavirus.

Symptoms of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome appear one to six weeks after exposure to the virus. Symptoms include:

tiredness

dizziness

fever and chills

muscle aches and headaches

nausea and vomiting

stomach pain

coughingMore severe symptoms may include:

shortness of breath

severe difficulty breathingWhere exposure is possibleThe national agency says rodent infestation — in and around the home — is the main risk for exposure, but infestations and exposure are possible wherever rodents are present, including in cottages, trailers and garden sheds.

So, when you are opening your cottage, cabin or other seasonal home and find rodent urine or droppings, the health agency recommends the following steps:

Wear rubber or plastic gloves. If you are cleaning in a confined space, wear a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filtered respirator.

Do not sweep or vacuum rodent droppings. This will release particles into the air, which you could then breathe in.

Spray droppings with a household disinfectant, or a mixture of one part bleach to nine parts water. Let the area soak for 10 minutes to make sure any virus within the droppings will be killed.

Wipe up wet droppings with paper towels or a wet mop if dealing with a large area.

Wash gloves in disinfectant and hot soapy water before taking them off. Afterwards, wash your hands thoroughly.

If a wet mop was used to clean the area, use disinfectant and hot soapy water to clean the mop.More information on protecting yourself against hantavirus is available on the Government of Canada website.

来源链接：
https://www.toronto.com/news/opening-the-cottage-this-may-long-weekend-protect-yourself-against-hantavirus-a-rare-but-potentially/article_f396b88e-317e-563d-8b0c-a80bfc1581ba.html