Michigan woman sickened with rare hantavirus after cleaning up after rodents - New York Post

The unidentified Michigan patient is thought to have caught the virus while cleaning out a vacant home with signs of an active rodent infestation, health officials reportedly said.

Fecal matter … from the infestation likely became airborne during cleaning and was inhaled by the individual,” Washtenaw County Health Department spokeswoman Susan Ringler-Cerniglia told the paper

“Anyone who comes into contact with rodents that carry hantavirus is at risk for HPS and health care providers with a suspect case of hantavirus should contact their local health department to report the case and discuss options for confirmatory testing,” Dr

Joneigh Khaldun, chief medical executive at the Michigan Department of Health, reportedly said

The best way to avoid the disease is to take safety precautions when cleaning up after rodent infestations, officials said

“If your pet finds or kills a rodent, neither dogs nor cats can transmit hantavirus to humans, Ringler-Cerniglia reportedly said