(HealthDayNews) -- Hantavirus is a germ that causes Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS), a form of adult respiratory disease first reported in the United States in 1993.
Since then, about 288 HPS cases have been reported in the U.S., and about 38 percent of them were fatal.
The deer mouse is a major carrier of hantavirus and can carry and shed the virus without showing any signs of illness, says the Washington State Department of Health.
The mice shed the virus through their droppings, urine and saliva. A person can be exposed to the virus by breathing dust after cleaning up rodent droppings or disturbing nests, or by living and working in rodent-infested settings.
You can reduce exposure to the hantavirus by taking steps to prevent rodents from entering your home and workplace. Experts who take the necessary precautions can help you remove their nesting places from inside and around your home.
