Hantavirus Risk Downplayed For Campers

Health officials say the chance of contracting the hantavirus is slim, even though the rodent-borne killer has been confirmed in the Washington.

Hantavirus can trigger Adult Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS), which has killed nearly 50 people in the United States - including a North Idaho teenager - out of approximately 91 known to have contracted it.

Last fall, Hantavirus antibodies were confirmed in nine of 39 deer mice captured on Mount Baker.

But Dr. John Kobayashi, senior epidemiologist for the Washington Department of Health, said experts already suspected the hantavirus is “widely present in rodents” in the West. What’s puzzling, he said, is why so few people are infected.

At a convention last year, 70 Washington wildlife biologists were asked to submit blood samples to researchers. Kobayashi said none of the samples contained anitbodies to the hantavirus even though many of the biologists had handled dozens of live rodents without taking precautions.

Kobayashi said outdoors enthusiasts should focus on “sensible precautions in regard to rodent avoidance … rather than undue fear of going outdoors.”

Precautions include:

* Avoid sleeping in areas where rodent droppings are evident.

* Store camp and cabin food in sealed containers.

* Wet and disinfect rodent debris before cleaning it from a shelter. Use a solution of one cup bleach to one quart water to reduce dust. Wear plastic gloves if possible while cleaning and keep the work area well ventilated.

Humans are infected when they inhale aerosolized microscopic particles that contain dried rodent urine, droppings or saliva.

Within two weeks, infected humans get flu-like symptoms followed by respiratory problems. Treatments so far have been generally ineffective.