Health
North Dakota; Rare Infection From Rodent Virus Sickens North Dakota Child
(CTN News) – The North Dakota Department of Health said the patient had hantavirus.
A child in eastern North Dakota was infected with a virus linked to rodent droppings, health officials said.
According to a news release from the North Dakota Department of Health, the child contracted hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS).
A rare infection was confirmed by testing at the the Cdcp. NDDoH reports that the child has since recovered.
It didn’t disclose the child’s age, where they lived, or where they might have been infected.
According to NDDoH epidemiologist Levi Schlosser, most hantavirus exposures happen when people clean cabins, sheds, or other dwellings that have rodents, rodent droppings, or rodent nests.
To prevent hantavirus infection, it’s important to be wary of rodent infestations, Schlosser said.
There’s a virus called HPS that can cause severe lung disease, including pneumonia.
Symptoms include fever, body aches, fatigue, headache, dizziness, chills, nausea, and vomiting two to three weeks after the infection.
Symptoms worsen quickly, including coughing and shortness of breath.
North Dakota has recorded 19 cases of HPS in the past 30 years, eight of which resulted in death.
Across the country, 833 cases have been reported, with 35% resulting in death.
NDDoH says these tips can help you avoid hantavirus when cleaning a rodent-infested building:
- Before you start cleaning, open the windows and doors for 30 minutes.
- Use disinfectant and wear gloves.
- Before you remove dead rodents, their urine, droppings, and nests, soak them in disinfectant for five minutes.
- Make a solution of one part bleach and nine parts water or use a commercial disinfectant.
- Don’t sweep or vacuum droppings or other stuff to stir up dust.
- Children should not play in crawl spaces or vacant buildings.
- What are the three 3 symptoms of hantavirus?
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Early symptoms include fatigue, fever and muscle aches, especially in the large muscle groups—thighs, hips, back, and sometimes shoulders. These symptoms are universal. There may also be headaches, dizziness, chills, and abdominal problems, such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain.
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