Hantavirus case reported in Skagit County

A Skagit County resident has contracted hantavirus, according to Skagit County Public Health on Monday.

It is the first case in the county since 2003.

Hantavirus, which is carried by deer mice and is found in their waste, can be deadly.

This is the fourth recorded hantavirus case in Washington this year, according to a news release from the county.

Sudden flu-like symptoms such as fever, aches and shortness of breath appear one to eight weeks after exposure, according to the release.

Roughly one in three people who contract hantavirus die, the release states.

The county resident who contracted hantavirus has fully recovered, according to the release.

While the disease is not spread from human to human, someone can contract it by breathing in contaminated dust or touching rodent urine or droppings and then touching their eyes, mouth or nose.

Public Health encourages anyone showing hantavirus symptoms who has been near where rodents nest to make an appointment with a health care provider.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends the following steps to safely clean potentially contaminated areas:

– Do not stir up dust by vacuuming, sweeping, or any other dust-generating means.

– Wear rubber, latex, vinyl or nitrile gloves.

– Thoroughly wet contaminated areas including droppings, dead mice and nests with a bleach solution or household disinfectant. Bleach solution: Mix 1 1/2 cups of household bleach in 1 gallon of water. Use only freshly mixed solution.

– Once everything has soaked for 10 minutes, remove all the nest material, mice or droppings with a damp towel, then mop or sponge the area with bleach solution or household disinfectant.

– Spray dead rodents with disinfectant, then double-bag along with all cleaning materials and debris. Throw out rodent in an appropriate waste disposal system.