On Tuesday, the Illinois Department of Public Health said it was investigating a case where a person is suspected of catching hantavirus after cleaning a home where droppings were present. The person is recovering after having mild symptoms, Illinois health officials said.

Reducing the risk for hantavirus in the U.S. means staying away from rodents and the droppings they leave behind.

The CDC and other experts have recommendations for clearing out and cleaning up campsites, sheds, barns and any other places that may have been left unoccupied over the winter:

Open the windows and doors to air out the area for 30 minutes.
Wear rubber or plastic gloves. The CDC doesn’t specifically recommend a face mask for typical household cleanings, but Gorris of the Los Alamos lab does.
Do not vacuum or sweep up droppings, as it can aerosolize droplets that contain the virus.
Spray rodent urine and droppings with either an all-purpose disinfectant or make your own by adding 1 1/2 cups of bleach to 1 gallon of water. Let the area soak for five minutes.
Clean up the area with paper towels, and then throw them in a covered garbage container.
Clean all hard surfaces like floors, countertops and drawers with a disinfectant.
Wash gloved hands with soap and water, remove the gloves, and then wash hands again with soap and water.


It looks like I have a problem, seeing how my roommate has 100s of rats in his house, and has never addressed the issue. He has had them in his house for over 15 years. I put a trap up in my room, and killed 3 in 15 minutes, or less. I have one left, the other hundreds stay in the living room, kitchen and my roommates room. There is no food for them to get to back in my room, it's all the stuff in the other part of the house that drives them in. Hopefully they will have no reason, to come back to my room anymore.

Bring that cat inside :D