Hantavirus expert says risk to Minnesotans is low
Go Deeper.
Create an account or log in to save stories.
Like this?
Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.
United States officials are monitoring Americans who traveled on a cruise ship at the center of a recent outbreak of a rare disease called hantavirus.
Headlines about the outbreak echo the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. But Minnesota Department of Health epidemiologist Leah Bauck said the risk to Minnesotans is low.
“COVID was a new disease. Hantavirus isn't a new disease, and it also doesn't spread quite as easily,” said Bauck.
Hantavirus is carried mostly by rodents but not typically by house mice you may see in homes or buildings. According to Bauck there are hundreds of different types of hantaviruses found around the world and each have their own specific host.
Turn Up Your Support
MPR News helps you turn down the noise and build shared understanding. Turn up your support for this public resource and keep trusted journalism accessible to all.
She said the biggest concern for hantavirus in Minnesota would be through deer mice in rural, wooded or prairie areas of the state. For Minnesotans setting up the cabin this summer, Bauck said it’s best to clean mouse droppings by spraying disinfectant on them before wiping it up.
“A big thing is making sure you're not aerosolizing those droppings; so not vacuuming, not sweeping,” she explained.
Transmission is still rare. Since 1999, Minnesota’s seen only two cases of hantavirus exposure.
Sin Nombre virus is the hantavirus variation most commonly found in the U.S., but the cruise ship outbreak is not part of that strain, Bauck added.
Listen to the full conversation by clicking the player above.
