The everyday places Americans could be exposed to hantavirus — without knowing it

Amid nan existent hantavirus outbreak that started connected nan MV Hondius cruise vessel arsenic it sailed crossed nan Atlantic, wellness experts are now examining whether Americans whitethorn beryllium encountering nan microorganism successful mundane places without realizing it.

The rare Andes strain, which was linked to nan MV Hondius outbreak, is nan only known hantavirus that has nan capacity to dispersed from personification to person, usually done prolonged adjacent interaction pinch an infected person.

Most cases of hantavirus successful nan U.S. hap successful nan godforsaken southwest and connected nan westbound coast, according to Dr. Linda Yancey, an infectious illness master astatine Memorial Hermann successful nan Houston area.

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"In Texas, cases are mostly seen connected nan westbound broadside of nan state," she told Fox News Digital. "The strain of hantavirus autochthonal to eastbound Texas and westbound Louisiana, nan Bayou strain, is not arsenic infectious successful humans arsenic nan occidental strain, nan Sin Nombre strain."

Hantavirus is chiefly dispersed done interaction pinch infected rodents – chiefly cervid mice – and their urine, droppings aliases saliva. (iStock)

Hantavirus is chiefly dispersed done interaction pinch infected rodents – chiefly cervid mice – and their urine, droppings aliases saliva, according to nan Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

People tin go infected aft breathing successful contaminated particles that are stirred into nan aerial aliases rubbing contaminated surfaces and past rubbing their chemoreceptor aliases mouth. More rarely, rodent bites tin dispersed nan virus.

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Exposure is astir apt erstwhile cleaning enclosed aliases poorly ventilated areas wherever rodents whitethorn nest unnoticed for weeks aliases months, wellness officials say.

Risky locations tin see garages, sheds, cabins, attics, barns and crawl spaces. Storage units, stables, room cabinets, and spaces down appliances if rodents are present.

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Rodents tin besides nest successful unused cars, RVs, campers and boats, which tin beryllium sources of vulnerability erstwhile reopened.

The National Park Service says that astir quality cases of hantavirus hap successful nan outpouring and are linked to buildings that go heavy infested pinch rodents complete nan winter.

The consequence of inhalation is besides higher erstwhile opening buildings that person gone unused for longer periods of time, sweeping dusty floors, aliases moving and unpacking boxes. (iStock)

"Most group are exposed erstwhile cleaning retired sheds and garages wherever rodents person been living," Yancey confirmed. "You tin beryllium exposed by conscionable nan particulate and droppings near down by rodents – you don't moreover request to moreover spot nan rodent to beryllium exposed."

The consequence of inhalation is besides higher erstwhile opening buildings that person gone unused for longer periods of time, sweeping dusty floors, aliases moving and unpacking boxes, experts cautioned.

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Rodent vulnerability is not constricted to buildings. Health officials opportunity group tin besides brushwood hantavirus risk while handling firewood, moving successful rodent-prone outdoor areas, aliases disturbing rodent nests and burrows. 

To forestall infection, if cleaning a building that mightiness person harbored rodents, Yancey recommends wearing a disguise and utilizing a diluted bleach solution to bedewed down immoderate particulate aliases loose debris.

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"This will thief termination nan exposed microorganism and trim nan magnitude of infectious dust," Yancey said.

The CDC advises against vacuuming aliases sweeping rodent urine, droppings aliases nesting materials, arsenic this tin aerosolize nan microorganism and summation nan consequence of inhalation.

A Spanish rider boards a authorities level aft disembarking from nan hantavirus-stricken cruise vessel MV Hondius astatine nan airdrome successful Tenerife, Canary Islands, connected May 10, 2026. (Arturo Rodriguez/AP Photo)

Instead, wellness officials urge wearing gloves, soaking rodent droppings pinch disinfectant, wiping them up pinch insubstantial towels, decently disposing of discarded and thoroughly cleaning surfaces, followed by observant handwashing.

Some signs of rodent activity tin see droppings, shredded nesting materials, gnaw marks, beardown musky odors and scratching sounds successful nan walls aliases ceilings, according to public health guidance.

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Dr. Marc Siegel, Fox News elder aesculapian analyst, emphasized that hantavirus is not thing that astir Americans brushwood successful regular life, and is much salient successful definite parts of Europe and Asia.

"It is very uncommon successful nan U.S. and is seen retired west, but rarely," he told Fox News Digital. "We request to debar overpersonalizing nan consequence of a very uncommon virus."