Officials with the County of San Diego found two mice at Torrey Pines State Reserve that tested positive for Hantavirus.
“We find positive mice almost every year throughout the county,” said Chris Conlan, with San Diego County Vector Control. “The last human case was back in 2004 from the East County.”
Deer mice carry the Hantavirus, which is lethal to humans about 30 percent of the time, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
The virus doesn’t affect the rodents, which are found in many canyons adjacent to local communities.
“This is a reminder to folks that yes, it is out there,” Conlan said. “You can find these wild mice anywhere that is undeveloped or that there is native brush.”
Although the mice aren’t a threat to many people’s homes, Conlan said there are unaware communities on the edge of brush or canyons that should become informed.
“The issue is not so much the contact, but the cleanup,” he said. “If you have an outbuilding or an unused portion of your home, make sure that if you notice any rodent activity you take precautions during the cleanup.”
Use a damp cloth or mop and disinfectant, instead of a broom or vacuum cleaner, because Hantavirus is contracted by inhaling the rodent’s fecal or urine matter once it is airborne.
Symptoms, which can appear anywhere from one to six weeks after exposure to rodents or their droppings, resemble the flu and can include muscle aches, chills, fever, headaches, stomach aches and respiratory problems, according to the County of San Diego, Vector Control.
“It’s not prevalent right now in terms of people catching it, but people are living in their homes in, say, La Jolla and it could be in a canyon right below,” Conlan said.
Vector Control has continued testing mice at the reserve.
For more information about Hantavirus, call (858) 694-2888 or visit www.sdvector.com.