North Dakota’s Health Department has reported a case of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome in a pediatric patient in eastern North Dakota. It was confirmed by testing performed at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The individual was hospitalized but has since recovered.
Health Department epidemiologist Levi Schlosser says “people are most often exposed to hantavirus when they inhale dust while cleaning or occupying previously vacant cabins or sheds…that contain rodents, rodent droppings and rodent nests.”
The viral infection can cause severe lung disease, including pneumonia.
The Health Department offers the following tips to avoid hantavirus infection when cleaning a building with signs of rodent infestation:
= Ventilate the space by opening the doors and windows for 30 minutes before you start cleaning.
= Wear gloves and use disinfectant when cleaning up dead rodents or their urine, droppings and nests.
= Saturate the material with disinfectant for at least five minutes before removal.
= Mop floors and clean countertops, cabinets and drawers with disinfectant.
Symptoms usually begin two to three weeks after infection. Early symptoms commonly include fever, muscle and body aches, fatigue, headache, dizziness, chills, nausea and vomiting.
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