Hantavirus and Rodents: Clean Up and Control
Cleanup contractors, contact EH&S or Purchasing.
Hantavirus is a virus that can cause an extremely rare, but serious respiratory illness called hantavirus pulmonary syndrome. This illness has been found throughout the United States for many years, but was first identified in 1993. The symptoms of hantavirus infection are similar to the flu-fever, body aches, chills and trouble breathing.
Routes of Exposure
Hantavirus is spread primarily by deer mice. It is estimated that 15% of deer mice carry the virus. Deer mice spread hantavirus in their droppings, urine, saliva and nesting material. The virus attaches itself to dust particles that can become airborne if disturbed. The virus infects humans by inhalation of the virus-contaminated dust or by close contact with contaminated material. Hantavirus can also be transmitted to humans through deer mice bites.
Risk of Exposure
The risk of acquiring hantavirus is extremely rare, even among people who are consistently exposed to mice and other rodents. The majority of exposures (70%) occur around the home.
Hantavirus poses no significant health risk to WSU employees provided that simple precautions are followed. Employees who typically clean out storage areas, barns, and outbuildings which rodents are likely to infest, or individuals who trap or work with wild rodents have the greatest potential to be exposed to hantavirus.
Rodent Control Measures
After cleanup of rodent evidence, monitor the area to determine if rodents are still infesting the area. If fresh rodent evidence is found, such as new rodent droppings or nesting material, then follow recommended rodent control measures.
- Keep rodents out of the area by plugging, screening or covering all openings that rodents might get through (1/4 inch wide or larger). It is recommended that a pest control contractor be used. Contact EH&S or Purchasing for the name and telephone number of the current contractor.
- Discourage rodents by eliminating food and water sources
- Store food in containers with tight fitting covers.
- Do not store pet food in uncovered or in open feeding dishes.
- Fix leaky pipes.
- Store garbage in tight containers and dispose of promptly.
Contact EH&S at 335-3041 for additional information about hantavirus or rodent clean up and control measures.
For the name and telephone number of the current pest control and cleanup contractors, contact EH&S or Purchasing.
Precautions should always be taken whenever rodent droppings, nesting material, evidence of feeding or dead rodents are found. Never sweep, vacuum, or generate airborne dust when rodent droppings and nesting material are found.
Use only the recommended wet cleaning methods. If the rodent infestation is not severe (a few droppings in a localized area):
- Wear latex or rubber gloves.
- Mix a disinfectant solution of 1 part bleach to 10 parts water.
- Thoroughly soak or spray droppings, nesting material, and dead rodents with the disinfectant.
- Use a rag, sponge, or mop soaked in the disinfectant to clean the area.
- Dispose of the contaminated material(excluding dead mice) into a plastic bag and seal. Put the sealed bag into a second plastic bag and seal and dispose of in the regular trash.
- Place dead mice into a plastic bag and seal. Put the sealed bag into a second plastic bag and seal and place in a biohazard box. Contact Facilities Operations for pickup and incineration (refer to Safety Policies & Procedures S80.12 for biohazardous waste disposal).
- Disinfect or throw away the used gloves and wash hands thoroughly with soap and hot water.
If the rodent infestation is severe (large numbers of rodent droppings in a room/building), such as found in closed, unoccupied storage areas, barns, etc.:
- Contact EH&S to inspect the area and recommend proper cleanup and rodent control procedures.
- Air out the area for at least 30 minutes by opening windows and doors. Make sure that adjacent uncontaminated areas are not effected when airing out the contaminated area.
- Leave the area while it is airing out.
- While cleaning, wear appropriate PPE, including a NIOSH-approved respirator* with HEPA filter cartridges, latex or rubber gloves, eye protection, disposable coveralls and shoe coverings or washable clothing with rubber boots.
- Follow steps 2 through 7 listed previously.
- Spray dirt floors with the disinfectant.
- Dispose of one-time use PPE and clean and disinfect the respirator and rubber boots according to established procedures.
*Fit testing and training is required prior to respirator use. Contact EH&S to schedule fit testing and training.
Cleanup and Control Responsibilities
The department using and controlling an area is responsible for all required cleanup and rodent control measures. Maintenance personnel who need to enter an area with a severe infestation are not required to perform cleanup or control in such situations unless they utilize the area. The department assigned the space is responsible for cleanup and control measures prior to maintenance personnel entering the area. For severe infestations, use of a cleanup contractor is recommend.
Hantavirus na Rodents: Kusafisha na Udhibiti Wakandarasi wa Usafi, wasiliana na EH&S au Ununuzi. Hantavirus ni virusi vinavyosababisha ugonjwa wa kupumua usio wa kawaida lakini mbaya sana unaoitwa hantavirus pulmonary syndrome. Ugonjwa huu umekuwa ukitokea nchini Marekani kwa miaka mingi, lakini uligunduliwa kwa mara ya kwanza mwaka 1993. Dalili za maambukizo ya hantavirus ni sawa na homa ya mafua, maumivu ya mwili, baridi na shida ya kupumua. Njia za Kuambukizwa Hantavirus huenezwa hasa na panya wa mwituni. Inakadiriwa kuwa asilimia 15 ya panya wa punda-milia wana virusi hivyo. Panya wa mwituni husambaza virusi vya hantavirusi katika kinyesi chao, mkojo, mate na vifaa vya kufanyia viota. Virusi hivyo hujifunga kwenye chembechembe za vumbi ambazo zinaweza kusambazwa hewani zikisumbuliwa. Virusi hivyo huambukiza wanadamu kwa kupumua vumbi lililoharibiwa na virusi au kwa kuwasiliana kwa karibu na vitu vilivyochafuliwa. Hantavirus pia yaweza kuambukizwa kwa wanadamu kupitia kuumwa na panya wa mwituni. Hatari ya kuambukizwa hantavirus ni nadra sana, hata miongoni mwa watu ambao mara kwa mara kuambukizwa panya na wadudu wengine. Ugonjwa huu unaathiri zaidi ya asilimia 70 ya watu wanaoishi nyumbani. Hantavirus haisababishi hatari kubwa ya afya kwa wafanyikazi wa WSU ikiwa tahadhari rahisi zitafuatwa. Wafanyakazi ambao kwa kawaida kusafisha nje ya kuhifadhi maeneo, maghala, na outbuildings ambayo panya ni uwezekano wa infest, au watu ambao mtego au kazi na panya pori kuwa na uwezekano mkubwa wa kuwa wazi kwa hantavirus. Hatua za Kudhibiti Panya Baada ya kusafisha ushahidi wa panya, angalia eneo ili kuamua kama panya bado wanaambukiza eneo hilo. Kama ushahidi mpya wa panya hupatikana, kama vile mbolea mpya za panya au nyenzo za kuzalisha, kisha fuata hatua zilizopendekezwa za kudhibiti panya. - Weka panya nje ya eneo kwa kuziba, screening au kufunika vyanzo vyote kwamba panya inaweza kupata kupitia (1⁄4 inchi pana au kubwa). Inashauriwa kwamba mkandarasi wa kudhibiti wadudu atumikie. Wasiliana EH&S au Ununuzi kwa jina na nambari ya simu ya mkandarasi wa sasa. - Wazuia panya kwa kuondoa vyanzo vya chakula na maji - Weka chakula katika vyombo vyenye vifuniko vyenye nguvu. - Usihifadhi chakula cha wanyama wa kipenzi katika vyombo vya kulisha visivyofunikwa au vilivyo wazi. - Tengeneza mabomba yanayotiririka. - Weka taka katika vyombo visivyo na maji na uondoe haraka. Piga simu kwa EH&S kwa 335-341 kwa habari zaidi kuhusu hantavirus au hatua za kusafisha na kudhibiti panya. Kwa jina na nambari ya simu ya mkataba wa sasa wa udhibiti wa wadudu na kusafisha, wasiliana EH&S au Ununuzi. Hatua za tahadhari zinapaswa kuchukuliwa wakati wowote ambapo uchafu wa panya, nyenzo za kutengeneza viota, ushahidi wa kulisha au panya waliokufa hupatikana. Kamwe usipige, usipige, au kutokeza vumbi linalopeperushwa hewani wakati mbolea za panya na vifaa vya kufanyiza viota vinapopatikana. Tumia tu mbinu zilizopendekezwa za kusafisha kwa maji. Ikiwa kuambukizwa kwa panya si kali (matope machache katika eneo fulani): - Vaa glavu za latex au za mpira. - Kuchanganya ufumbuzi wa disinfectant ya 1 sehemu bleach kwa 10 sehemu ya maji. - Nyunyizia au kunyunyizia kikamilifu kinyesi, vitu vya kufanyiza viota, na panya waliokufa kwa dawa ya kuua viini. - Tumia kitambaa, sifongo, au mto uliotiwa dawa ya kuua viini kusafisha eneo hilo. - Tupa vifaa vilivyochafuliwa (bila panya waliokufa) ndani ya mfuko wa plastiki na kufungwa. Weka mfuko uliofungwa ndani ya mfuko wa pili wa plastiki na kufunga na kuondoa katika taka ya kawaida. - Weka panya waliokufa ndani ya mfuko wa plastiki na kufunga. Weka mfuko uliofungwa ndani ya mfuko wa plastiki wa pili na kufunga na kuweka katika sanduku la hatari ya kibiolojia. Utaratibu wa kuondoa na kuharibu taka za hatari ya kibiolojia (Safety Policies & Procedures S.8012 for Biohazardous Waste Disposal) - Disinfect au kutupa mbali kinga kutumika na kuosha mikono kikamilifu na sabuni na maji moto. Ugonjwa wa panya ni mkubwa (idadi kubwa ya panya katika chumba au jengo), kama ilivyo katika maeneo ya kuhifadhi yaliyofungwa, yasiyo na watu, maghala, nk. - Wasiliana na EH&S ili kuchunguza eneo hilo na kupendekeza taratibu sahihi za kusafisha na kudhibiti panya. - Punguza hewa katika eneo hilo kwa angalau dakika 30 kwa kufungua madirisha na milango. Hakikisha kwamba maeneo ya jirani uncontaminated si kuathiriwa wakati wa hewa nje ya eneo kuchafuliwa. - Ondoka katika eneo hilo wakati ni hewa nje. Wakati wa kusafisha, vaa vifaa vya kibinafsi vinavyolingana, ikiwa ni pamoja na kifaa cha kupumua kilichokubaliwa na NIOSH na cartridges za kichujio cha HEPA, kinga za mpira au mpira, kinga ya macho, suti ya kuondoa na vifuniko vya viatu au nguo za kuosha na buti za mpira. Fanya hatua ya 2 hadi 7 iliyoorodheshwa hapo juu. - Piga dawa ya kuua viini kwenye sakafu. - Tupa PPE ya matumizi ya mara moja na kusafisha na kuua viini vya kupumua na viatu vya mpira kulingana na taratibu zilizowekwa. * Uchunguzi wa kufaa na mafunzo inahitajika kabla ya matumizi ya kifaa cha kupumua. Wasiliana na EH&S ili kupanga vipimo vya kufaa na mafunzo. Utakaso na Udhibiti Wajibu Idara kutumia na kudhibiti eneo ni wajibu kwa ajili ya yote required utakaso na udhibiti wa panya hatua. Wafanyakazi wa matengenezo ambao wanahitaji kuingia katika eneo lenye maambukizi makubwa hawahitaji kufanya usafi au udhibiti katika hali kama hizo isipokuwa wanatumia eneo hilo. Idara iliyopewa nafasi ni wajibu wa usafi na hatua za udhibiti kabla ya wafanyakazi wa matengenezo kuingia katika eneo hilo. Kwa maambukizi makali, matumizi ya mkandarasi wa kusafisha inashauriwa.