Deer Mice Infestation Can Expose you to Hantavirus

Deer mice among other species of rodents are carriers of the Hantavirus, mere exposure to the feces, urine, or in rare instances can infect you with the virus, and when droppings are spotted or for that matter any live rodent, one should immediately call our reputable mice exterminator Toronto service who can be at your location in no time. Mice are able to get in the house in several ways. One of them is through the AC. Can mice climb brick walls to get inside the AC unit? Apparently, they can as they are excellent climbers. According to the government agency, Health Canada hantavirus can cause a very serious lung disease called HPS hantavirus pulmonary syndrome. Official findings of the hantavirus date back to 1933 but may date back even longer. As mentioned earlier rodents especially deer mice shed the virus through their urine, feces, and salvia. Deer mice are pale grey with white fur on their stomachs. According to Health Canada, they found that the virus has a low presence among deer mice and that the chances of contracting the virus remain low however they can have other types of diseases that they can transmit via close contact. People get exposed to the virus in several ways such as breathing in infected deer mice droppings or urine. Being bitten by a deer mouse. Touching any open wound after contact with infected material. The virus does not spread human to human, nor is there evidence that it can be transmitted to insects such as mosquitos, ticks, and fleas. HPS always starts with fever, chills, headache, or muscle pain. As the disease worsens it becomes harder to breathe. The easiest way to prevent contracting HPS even though the chances of you getting it remains minimal in Toronto, is to avoid any direct to indirect contact with mice and rats. Health Canada recommends doing the following to avoid any contact.

• Always store food, water, and garbage in metal or heavy plastic containers with tight-fitting lids. Do not leave pet food or water out overnight.
• Seal holes around doors, windows, and roofs with steel wool or cement. To discourage digging and nesting inside homes, place gravel around the base of the building.
• Remove any abandoned vehicles, old tires, or cast-off furniture from your property. Cut back thick bush and keep the grass short. Keep woodpiles, hay, and trash cans off the ground and away from your home.
• When hiking or camping, use a ground cover or a tent with a floor. Try to avoid areas where there are rodent burrows or droppings. It’s always wise to use bottled or disinfected water.

Indoors

• Know how to set traps indoors. Each kind of trap brings different results Douse dead mice, used traps and nests with a household disinfectant or diluted bleach. Household bleach is diluted by mixing 1 tablespoon of the bleach in one litre of water (or 4 tablespoons of bleach for each gallon of water).
• Always use rubber or plastic gloves when handling dead rodents and other materials. Put them inside a plastic bag. Seal the bag, then put it in a sealed garbage can. Or bury it.
•    Rinse gloves in disinfectant or diluted bleach before you remove them. Wash gloves and hands in hot soapy water.
• Always wear rubber gloves when cleaning up signs of mice. Open windows/doors for a half-hour before and after cleaning to air out the area.
•    Wet floors to minimize dust. Damp-mop and wash floors with soap, water and disinfectant. Do not vacuum or sweep bare floors before mopping.
•    Wear a breathing mask if the area is poorly ventilated. Wash countertops, drawers and cupboards with disinfectant. Wash any clothing or bedding contaminated with droppings. Dry them in the sun or a hot dryer.
• After clean-up, wash hands and face well before eating, drinking or smoking.
• Don’t attract mice. Always clean up spilled food, and wash dishes right away.

Remember upon seeing rat droppings and live animals always call our reputable pest control company based in Toronto to take care of the problem immediately. As Coronavirus cases are being reported daily, the need for doing the above as well as keeping one’s distance is critical to slow down the infection rates.