Hantavirus, a serious airborne illness carried by certain rodents, has been making headlines for weeks following an outbreak on a cruise ship travelling from Argentina to Spain. The outbreak led to 11 infections, including three deaths, and serves as a stark reminder of how dangerous contracting the disease can be.
While cases of hantavirus are exceedingly low in Canada, they do occur, and cottagers may be at risk due to the mode of transmission. Bryce Warner, a research scientist at the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization, says the virus lives in the dried excrement and urine of certain rodent species and can become aerosolized when cleaning during cottage opening.
“When you sweep up dust and particles in your cottage or shed, it could become airborne and inhaled if you’re not aware,” he says. “It’s less common, but it is also possible to transmit the virus if you get bit or if you’re handling dead rodents that you found in your cottage or camper when you open it up.”
Canada only has one strain of hantavirus, called Sin Nombre, which is carried by deer mice. This is different from the strain identified on the cruise ship, which is the Andes virus, found in South America. The Andes virus is also the only strain of hantavirus that can be transmitted between humans. Warner says there is evidence that suggests Sin Nombre is starting to be found in other rodent species, such as field mice and house mice, but it’s much less common and it’s currently unclear what role those species play in transmitting the virus to other rodents or humans.
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Since we first started recording data in the early 1990s, Canada has only reported around 170 infections from the Sin Nombre strain, but the likelihood of contracting the virus depends on where you live. “There’s only five to ten cases per year in Canada, but the vast majority are in Alberta and Saskatchewan,” says Warner. “There are some in B.C. and a handful in Manitoba, but there’s never been a confirmed case in Ontario or the Maritimes.”
So, those who own a cottage in the prairies are at a greater risk, but the risk is still low. Nevertheless, Warner says it’s important to take precautions during cottage opening as the disease has a roughly 40 per cent fatality rate.
He recommends opening windows and doors to air out your cottage before cleaning, and wearing a fitted mask, such as an N95 mask, and rubber gloves. Start by disinfecting areas you think may have been infested by rodents over the fall and the winter with a one to 10 bleach solution. Let the solution sit for 10 minutes before wiping the area down, and be sure to wash your hands thoroughly once you’ve finished.
If you start noticing symptoms, for example, flu-like symptoms, fever, and respiratory distress, after cleaning, Warner says it’s important to seek medical help immediately. “If there’s a suspected hantavirus exposure, the most important thing is to get to the emergency room as quickly as possible, because the disease progresses very rapidly,” he says.
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