LANSING (WWJ) -- A virus spread through infected rodents has surfaced for the first time in Michigan.
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) and the Washtenaw County Health Department are investigating the first confirmed human case of Sin Nombre hantavirus.
An adult woman in Washtenaw County was recently hospitalized with a serious pulmonary illness from hantavirus.
The investigation shows that she was likely exposed when cleaning an unoccupied home that had signs of an active rodent infestation.
Hantavirus was first discovered to be responsible for hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) in sick patients in the southwest United States in 1993.
Exposures occur mostly when humans come into contact with infected rodents. Most cases have been identified in adults and tend to happen in the spring and summer.
“We can prevent and reduce the risk of hantavirus infection by taking precautions and being alert to the possibility of it,” says Dr. Juan Luis Marquez, medical director with Washtenaw County Health Department. “Use rubber, latex, vinyl or nitrile gloves when cleaning areas with rodent infestations, ventilate areas for at least 30 minutes before working, and make sure to wet areas thoroughly with a disinfectant or chlorine solution before cleaning.”
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Symptoms of HPS, which is rare but severe, can occur 1 to 5 weeks after a person has been exposed, and include fever, chills, body aches and headaches, as well as gastro-intestinal issues such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain.
The illness can progress to also include coughing and shortness of breath. HPS has a 40% fatality rate.
For more information about HPS, visit Cdc.gov/hantavirus.