What is Hantavirus and how to avoid infection?

Added: 2026-05-13

[00:00:00]Contact tracing has started in Europe and Africa. Health officials are searching for anyone who could have been in contact with the passengers on a cruise ship at the center of a deadly hantavirus outbreak. This comes as three sick passengers actually arrived in the Netherlands today for treatment. You know, back in 2021, there was a reported case of hantavirus right here in Southeast Michigan. So, you may be asking, what exactly is this and what can you do to make sure you don't get it? Fox 2's Ingrid Kelly is live tonight in Southfield with the answers. Ingrid?

[00:00:28]Yeah.

[00:00:30]Well, hey Roop. How are you? You know, that case was in Washtenaw County. It was the state's first and only case. And that person got the virus because they were cleaning out a space and there were a lot of rodent droppings present. Now, officials say a space like this, like a garage, an attic, you know, a a basement even, can put you at risk for hantavirus if there are rodent droppings and you start to clean. Take a listen.

[00:00:59]I was the medical director uh for the Washtenaw County Health Department. And so, I helped lead the investigation into this case along with the state. There was a lot of uh uncertainty at the time whether or not this represented a severe manifestation of COVID. So, hantavirus is a rodent-borne viral illness. What it means is that this virus is shed in the urine, feces, and saliva of infected rodents. And uh humans acquire it almost entirely through breathing in contaminated particles, especially like a poorly ventilated enclosed space. In North America, the uh deer mice is the most common reservoir.

[00:01:31]>> We are working closely with our uh national and international public health community. We're receiving alerts and informational briefings about this so that we know what's happening. And they're trying to do everything they can to get to the bottom of this outbreak and to stop that chain of transmission.

[00:01:50]Because the thing with hantavirus is, even though it is rare and it is especially rare in places like Michigan.

[00:01:57]It has a high case fatality rate, meaning that of people who get the infection, about a third of people actually do pass away.

[00:02:09]Back out here live. You know, the good news about Michigan's first and only case is that they did survive. They were hospitalized, but they have since recovered. And you know, it's spring now. And as people do spring cleaning, you know what? If you are in a space, again, like an attic and a garage, and you start to see rodent droppings, you know what? Just make sure that you wear a mask, you wear gloves. Also, too, before you sweep, never dry sweep, which means taking this broom and you just start pushing up things. You know, that's going to bring those contaminated particles, it's going to put them in the air, you're going to start breathing them, and then you become sick. So, coming up at 6:00, I'm going to tell you other ways to stay healthy and to avoid hantavirus. And you may remember, we're talking about this headline now, but it was just last year that the actor Gene Hackman, his wife, actually, they believe, based on evidence found on the property, contracted hantavirus and and passed away. Back to you, Roop. All right. We'll be looking for your report, an important health story for us tonight at 6:00. Ingrid Kelly for us live tonight. Thanks.