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Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome

Hantavirus Occupational Health Toolkit: Reducing Risk of Exposure

About Hantavirus

Hantavirus is a type of virus that is transmitted to people by infected rodents. Hantavirus infection can cause serious disease in humans and can occur when a person inhales the virus from the air in structures where infected deer mice have been present. Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) is a rare but often fatal disease of the lungs that can result from hantavirus infection. HPS was first recognized in 1993 in the southwestern United States. Although there are many types of hantaviruses in the United States, Sin Nombre virus (SNV) is the specific hantavirus that causes HPS in the western United States. SNV is transmitted to people by deer mice.

About this Toolkit

This toolkit contains occupational health information to educate employers and workers whose job sites or duties could put them at risk for exposure to hantavirus via infected rodents. The toolkit information is also useful for those who live or manage property and buildings in areas where infected deer mice may be present.

The information in the toolkit resources is designed to help the user learn:

  • How humans can become infected with hantavirus
  • The hantavirus species (Sin Nombre virus) that causes disease in California
  • The symptoms of HPS
  • How to prevent HPS in the workplace
  • How to identify and safely clean up mouse-infested areas
  • How to prepare seasonally used buildings for closure and safely open to prevent exposure to hantavirusā€‹

Tools in the Toolkit

Videos:

Four videos are available on the California Department of Public Health (CDPH)Ā­Ā­Ā­Ā­ YouTube channel:

Hantavirus: Reduce Your Risk of Exposure (16:19) 
This video can be used as a training tool in a group or individual setting. 
Promoting education and raising awareness about hantavirus are important elements in preventing disease transmission to humans. This video will assist individuals whose work may bring them into contact with rodents or rodent-infested areas. There are three sections in this video:
  • Section One discusses hantavirus and how human infection with Sin Nombre virus occurs.
  • Section Two focuses on how to keep mice out of buildings, how to clean up mice-infested areas, and how to trap rodents.

  • Section Three discusses procedures for seasonal closure of buildings and opening buildings that may have been contaminated by rodents.ā€‹

How to Exclude Mice from Buildings (6:31)

Deer mice can readily infest buildings in rural areas. The feces, urine, and saliva of infected deer mice can spread Sin Nombre virus, the causative agent of HPS, previously called hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome (HCPS), to people. This video will demonstrate how to look for evidence of rodent infestations, how to identify where rodents can enter buildings, and how to exclude rodents from entering and occupying buildings.

Trapping Deer Mice in USFS Facilities (4:01)

This video, produced by the United States Forest Service Region 5 in California, provides information on trapping deer mice indoors. Aerosolized deer mouse urine, feces, and saliva may transmit hantavirus to humans, so it is important to safely trap and remove mice from buildings. The video discusses how to identify signs of mouse activity indoors, the types of mouse traps, proper trap baiting, setting, placement, and disposal.ā€‹

How to Clean Up a Dead Mouse in a Trap (4:36)

A dead mouse that is caught in a snap-trap should be handled and disposed of properly to minimize the risk of getting HPS, a rare but potentially fatal disease associated with deer mice. This video will demonstrate the necessary contents of a clean-up kit and how to safely clean up and dispose of a dead mouse. ā€‹











Information Sheet:

Quiz:

  • Hantavirus Quiz (PDF) to be completed after viewing the Hantavirus: Reduce Your Risk of Exposure video. Please download and print.

    • ā€‹ā€‹ā€‹ā€‹ā€‹ā€‹Employers may administer this quiz to assess an employee's understanding of the video's content. Upon completion, a supervisor should grade the quiz and document training in staff records. Missed questions should be reviewed with staff to ensure understanding of concepts.

Worksite Poster:

Worksite Magnet:

Brochure:

Additional Resources:

Ordering Information

The following materials are available to order free-of-charge from the CDPH Vector-Borne Disease Section while supplies last: 

  • Preventing Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome in the Workplace 11 in. x17 in. poster (English only)
  • Hantavirus Prevention 4 in. x 7 in. magnet (English and Spanish)
  • Rodents and Hantā€‹avirus brochure (English only)  

To order, please contact the CDPH Vector-Borne Disease Section at VBDS@cdph.ca.gov or (916) 552-9730. Please include the quantity of each item requested, language (if applicable), contact name, organization name (if applicable), street mailing address (no P.O. boxes, please), and phone number. Most materials will be shipped within two weeks.

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