As of: March 1, 2024, 3:27 p.m
By: Fabian Hartmann
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In the garage, garden shed or in the attic: Where mice live, the hantavirus is not far away.
How to protect yourself
Kassel – March is already attracting the first spring-like temperatures of the year these days.
For many, this is an opportunity to do the famous spring cleaning or even start gardening.
However, caution is advised: wherever mice live, the dangerous hantavirus lurks.
Hantavirus is primarily transmitted by bank voles, which pass it on through saliva, feces or urine.
According to the Federal Center for Health Education (BZgA), these are contagious for several days, even when dried.
Therefore, direct contact with the pathogen is not necessary for transmission.
According to the BZgA, the viruses can cause illnesses of varying severity with different symptoms.
There is no vaccination against hantavirus, but the symptoms can usually be treated easily and those affected often do not suffer any long-term effects.
According to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), life-threatening bleeding can only occur in exceptional cases.
How does a hantavirus infection happen?
Caution is also advised when clearing out: Hantaviruses are usually inhaled or enter the human body through the mucous membranes - for example through blown-up dust.
But you can also become infected if the dust gets into an open wound.
Bank voles © IMAGO/Ant Palmer
There is a particular risk of infection and therefore special caution is required when working in the house and garden.
The hantaviruses can enter the body through blown dust or contaminated soil.
But they can also be transmitted through contaminated food.
If you are bitten by a bank vole, it is also strongly recommended that you see a doctor.
Hantavirus infection: incubation period, symptoms and course
The incubation period after a hantavirus infection is usually two to five weeks.
Depending on the type of virus, the infection varies in severity, sometimes even unnoticed and without any symptoms.
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The form of the disease that predominates in Germany usually begins with a sudden onset of fever.
It often lasts for three to four days before being replaced by flu-like symptoms such as headaches, muscle aches or body aches.
In addition, an infection with the virus can cause symptoms such as redness in the throat and cough.
Vision problems and increased sensitivity to light in the eyes are also possible.
After a few days, severe abdominal pain with diarrhea and vomiting often occurs.
Circulatory problems and disorders are also possible.
As the disease progresses, there may also be temporary limitations in kidney function.
However, cases of illness observed in Germany showed that infections with the virus in this country usually have no far-reaching consequences.
What you should consider to protect yourself from a hantavirus infection
Since there is currently no vaccine against the hantavirus, it is even more important to pay attention to safety and hygiene precautions when spring cleaning or gardening.
To protect against infections with the hantavirus, the RKI recommends safely disposing of dead mice and carefully cleaning surfaces potentially contaminated with the virus.
We recommend wearing rubber gloves and a tight-fitting mouth and nose mask to avoid exposure to blown-up dust.
In addition, the following additional hygiene and safety precautions can also be recommended when working in the garden or during spring cleaning to prevent infection with the hantavirus from bank voles:
Ventilate the room for 30 minutes before cleaning
Wipe surfaces with a damp cloth to avoid dust formation
Moisten mouse carcasses and excrement with cleaning agent before disposal to avoid dust formation
Wash your hands thoroughly after gardening or spending time in the basement, attic or shed
Keep food and pet food tightly closed to avoid attracting rodents
Dispose of waste in lockable bins
Do not dispose of food scraps or animal waste in the compost
Against Hantavirus infection: Mouse droppings or carcasses should be disinfected
If you come across a dead mouse or mouse excrement during spring cleaning or while working in the field or meadow, it is recommended to spray the carcass or mouse droppings specifically with disinfectant.
They can then be disposed of in a tightly sealed plastic bag with household waste.
The affected areas should ideally be cleaned afterwards with alcohol or comparable disinfectants.
These destroy the viruses and thus reduce the risk of infection.
(fh)