Hantavirus? (Scottsdale: house, allergy, living in)

[fluffythewondercat]

A few days ago I put on an N95 mask and went into our backyard. I noticed the wind had blown a nearly-empty bag of koi food across the patio. I picked it up and as I did there was a rustle in the bushes a few feet away. I didn't see any animal but I thought it was a jackrabbit. My second thought was that it might be a rat, though I did not see any poop droppings, saliva or urine on the patio pavers. However, the metallic foil koi food bag hadn't been chewed on and there was still food inside. I'm pretty sure a rat would have eaten every bit of the fish food and left ample droppings behind. Rodents constantly poop.

I went back into the house and washed my hands a number of times, then cleaned the door knob with soap and water. What I didn't think to do was take my shoes off and leave them outside, as a precaution. I acknowledge that was stupid. My spouse says I should have taken them off and tossed them in the pool. The chlorine would have killed any germs. Ah, well.

So after doing some research, it turns out the carriers of hantavirus in Arizona are deer mice and white-footed mice. One source said, ”Contact with a deer mouse’s fresh urine, feces, or saliva causes the virus to spread to humans, commonly through the inhalation of dust particles that have mixed with animal feces." I was wearing an N95, as I always do when I go outside, and an N95 will keep dust particles out.

Even if the culprit was a mouse it didn’t eat all the fish food, either. Rodents never pass up a meal. There were no feces in the bag that I could see.

When I go to the CDC pages, they assume you have mice and/or rats living in your house, so you must have a mess to clean up once the virus is inactive. We don't have that.

So I’m stumped. There was nothing visible on the soles of my shoes. I walked all over the house. What do we do now?

[Strannik33]

Fluffy, a couple of comments:

1. I wouldn't worry about this now. In any case, you cannot change anything, can you? And I doubt that a tiny spec of the droppings would infect you, even if you stepped on them, and there is no evidence of that. I'd think the CDC is describing a potential problem resulting from a major infestation and the droppings all around the house.
2. Just curious, why are you wearing an N95 mask outside? Allergy season in AZ now? But you said you always wear it. I've been to Scottsdale multiple times, and once I did get a severe allergy.

[Sno0909]

Is this a serious post? You wear an n95 mask outside? And then you disinfected anything you touched and considered throwing your shoes in the pool - all because you heard rustling in the bushes? I'm confused. You said you saw no droppings. No chewed bag. I think you are beyond paranoid.

[Greenvalleyfan]

Originally Posted by fluffythewondercat

A few days ago I put on an N95 mask and went into our backyard. I noticed the wind had blown a nearly-empty bag of koi food across the patio. I picked it up and as I did there was a rustle in the bushes a few feet away. I didn't see any animal but I thought it was a jackrabbit. My second thought was that it might be a rat, though I did not see any poop droppings, saliva or urine on the patio pavers. However, the metallic foil koi food bag hadn't been chewed on and there was still food inside. I'm pretty sure a rat would have eaten every bit of the fish food and left ample droppings behind. Rodents constantly poop.

I went back into the house and washed my hands a number of times, then cleaned the door knob with soap and water. What I didn't think to do was take my shoes off and leave them outside, as a precaution. I acknowledge that was stupid. My spouse says I should have taken them off and tossed them in the pool. The chlorine would have killed any germs. Ah, well.

So after doing some research, it turns out the carriers of hantavirus in Arizona are deer mice and white-footed mice. One source said, ”Contact with a deer mouse’s fresh urine, feces, or saliva causes the virus to spread to humans, commonly through the inhalation of dust particles that have mixed with animal feces." I was wearing an N95, as I always do when I go outside, and an N95 will keep dust particles out.

Even if the culprit was a mouse it didn’t eat all the fish food, either. Rodents never pass up a meal. There were no feces in the bag that I could see.

When I go to the CDC pages, they assume you have mice and/or rats living in your house, so you must have a mess to clean up once the virus is inactive. We don't have that.

So I’m stumped. There was nothing visible on the soles of my shoes. I walked all over the house. What do we do now?

You're a cat! Do what any self respecting cat would do and rip the little varmint's head off! Then drag it into the house and drop it at your owner's feet....then go stink up the litter box.