Hantavirus

FIRST LOCAL DETECTION OF HANTAVIRUS IN 2024

By County News Center, County of San Diego Communications Office

January 18, 2024 (San Diego) -- A Western Harvest mouse collected from the open space area on the eastern side of Mission Trails has tested positive for the potentially deadly hantavirus.

Finding hantavirus in wild rodents is not uncommon in San Diego County, there were a total of 17 cases in 2023. However, people rarely come into direct contact with infected animals because wild rodents naturally avoid humans.

While exposure to hantavirus is rare, people should be careful around wild rodents as there is no cure or vaccine for hantavirus.

Symptoms of hantavirus usually develop between 1-8 weeks after exposure and include:


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DEER MOUSE TESTS POSITIVE FOR HANTAVIRUS

By County News Center, County of San Diego Communications Office

September 7, 2023 (Mount Laguna, Calif.) -- A deer mouse collected near Mount Laguna on Aug. 24 during routine monitoring has tested positive for hantavirus.

Hantavirus in wild rodents is relatively common in San Diego County. This is the seventh routine detection of hantavirus in the region for calendar year 2023.  However, because wild rodents naturally avoid people, human exposure to the virus is rare. Still, County officials advise people should be careful around wild rodents as there is no cure or vaccine for hantavirus.


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DEER MOUSE WITH HANTAVIRUS FOUND IN CAMPO

East County News Service

Information and photo courtesy of County News Service

February 8, 2023 (Campo) -- A deer mouse collected from an open nature area in Campo during routine monitoring has tested positive for the potentially deadly hantavirus.

This is the first case confirmed this year in San Diego County. Finding hantavirus in wild rodents is not uncommon in San Diego County, last year there were 11 cases locally.


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MOUSE TESTS POSITIVE FOR HANTAVIRUS IN GUATAY

By Gig Conaughton, County of San Diego Communications Office

October 1, 2022 (Guatay) - A deer mouse collected in routine monitoring from an open area in Guatay near Pine Valley has tested positive for the potentially deadly hantavirus.


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MICE COLLECTED IN MOUNT LAGUNA TEST POSITIVE FOR HANTAVIRUS

By Gig Conaughton, County of San Diego Communications Office

August 26, 2021 (Mount Laguna) - Five deer mice and one brush mouse collected in routine monitoring in the Mount Laguna area have tested positive for hantavirus, County environmental health officials said this week.


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MOUSE NEAR SANTEE TESTS POSITIVE FOR HANTAVIRUS

By Gig Conaughton, County of San Diego Communications Office

A western harvest mouse collected in routine monitoring in open space along the border of Santee and San Diego has tested positive for hantavirus, County environmental health officials said this week.

County officials are reminding people that if they find rodents in their homes, garages, sheds or cabins they should never sweep up or vacuum up after them, but use “wet-cleaning” methods instead, to keep from breathing in the virus and getting sick.

Click "Read More" for more information and to review "Wet-cleaning" methods to safely clean up and dispose of mouse nests and/or droppings.


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FOUR WILD MICE COLLECTED IN CAMPO AREA TEST POSITIVE FOR HANTAVIRUS

By Gig Conaughton, County of San Diego Communications Office

Photo:  a California mouse

July 2, 2020 (Campo) - Four wild mice collected in routine monitoring in open space in the Campo area have tested positive for hantavirus.

County officials are reminding people they should never sweep or vacuum up after rodents if they find them in living spaces like homes, garages, sheds and cabins, but instead use “wet-cleaning” methods.


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CACTUS MICE TEST POSITIVE FOR HANTAVIRUS IN SANTEE AND VALLEY CENTER

By Gig Conaughton, County of San Diego Communications 
Image Credit: shutterstock
 
January 16, 2020 (San Diego) -- Two cactus mice collected separately in routine monitoring in Santee and Valley Center have tested positive for hantavirus, marking the first appearance in San Diego County in 2020 of the potentially deadly virus.
 
County officials said people should never sweep up or vacuum, but use “wet cleaning” methods instead, to clean up rodent droppings or signs of rodent infestation if they find them in their living spaces — homes, garages, sheds, cabins and outbuildings.
 
Infected rodents shed hantavirus in their urine, feces and saliva. If people stir that dry matter into the air by sweeping or vacuuming, they can inhale the virus and get sick.

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BRUSH MOUSE TESTS POSITIVE FOR HANTAVIRUS IN JULIAN

By Gig Conaughton, County of San Diego Communications Office

Photo:  Brush mouse, Peromyscus boylii

October 3, 2019 (Julian) - A brush mouse collected in routine monitoring in Julian has tested positive for the potentially deadly hantavirus, prompting County officials to remind people to never sweep or vacuum up after rodents if they find them in their living spaces.


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DEER MOUSE IN WARNER SPRINGS TESTS POSITIVE FOR HANTAVIRUS

By Gig Conaughton, County of San Diego Communications Office

August 2, 2019 (Warner Springs) - A deer mouse trapped during routine monitoring in Warner Springs has tested positive for the potentially deadly hantavirus, leading County officials to remind people they should never sweep up or vacuum up after rodents if they find them in homes, garages, sheds and cabins.


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THREE DEER MICE TEST POSITIVE FOR HANTAVIRUS

 

By Gig Conaughton, County of San Diego Communications Office

March 26, 2019 (Boulevard) - Three deer mice collected in routine monitoring in Boulevard have tested positive for the potentially deadly hantavirus, County Vector Control said this week.

County officials said it is not uncommon to find hantavirus in wild mice throughout the county, but it is generally unlikely for people to come into contact with hantavirus if they keep wild rodents out of their homes, sheds, garages and workplaces.


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HANTAVIRUS FOUND IN EAST COUNTY RODENTS

 

By Miriam Raftery

February 28, 2018 (San Diego) - County health officials are warning that 16 mice have tested positive for hantavirus, or about  5 percent of all wild mice tested. One meadow vole also tested positive for the disease.  The infected rodents were found in Borrego Springs, Boulevard, Julian, Ramona, San Diego, Santa Ysabel, 4S Ranch and Black Mountain.


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DEER MICE TEST POSITIVE FOR HANTAVIRUS

 

By Gig Connaughton, County of San Diego Communications Office

January 19, 2017 (Jamul) - Three wild deer mice caught in routine trapping in a rural area in Jamul have tested positive this week for hantavirus — the first to test positive for the potentially deadly virus in San Diego County in 2017.


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MOUSE IN CAMPO TESTS POSITIVE FOR HANTAVIRUS

December 6, 2012  (Campo)--A mouse trapped in Campo during routine monitoring has tested positive for the potentially deadly hantavirus, officials from the San Diego County Department of Environmental Health said Thursday.

County officials said it was normal to find rodents carrying hantavirus in San Diego County, but that they rarely posed a threat to people if they remained in the wild. However, they said people should protect themselves whenever cleaning up after rodents if they found them in their homes or on their properties.


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MOUSE FOUND NEAR HOMES IN ALPINE TESTS POSITIVE FOR HANTAVIRUS


County Urges Residents to Use Caution When Cleaning Up Rodent Droppings;

Video Provides Tips for Homeowners


January 20, 2011 (Alpine) -- A wild deer mouse trapped in Alpine during routine monitoring has tested positive for the potentially deadly hantavirus, San Diego County vector control officials said today.

 


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MOUSE AT MT. PALOMAR CAMPGROUND TESTS POSITIVE FOR HANTAVIRUS

 

County Urges Campers and area residents to Use Caution

 

August 16, 2010 (Palomar) -- A wild brush mouse trapped in Fry Creek Campground on Mt. Palomar tested positive for the potentially-deadly hantavirus during routine monitoring, San Diego County Vector Control officials said today. Nineteen mice have tested positive for Hantavirus this year countywide.

 


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5 WILD MICE TEST POSITIVE FOR HANTAVIRUS IN SAN DIEGO COUNTY

 

 

January 13, 2010 (San Diego) -- County Vector Control officials confirmed today that five wild mice trapped during routine monitoring tested positive for Hantavirus.

 

“As the weather cools, rodents will begin to seek shelter indoors. It is important to keep mice out of houses, garages and sheds to prevent infection.” said Jack Miller, Director of the County Department of Environmental Health. “People contract Hantavirus by inhaling the virus, often when they are cleaning up rodent droppings and nesting materials. Wet cleaning methods should be used to prevent inhaling the virus.”


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