Hantavirus Warning

“New Hampshire: Dartmouth College Employee Contracts Hantavirus
Infection
--------------------------------------------------
A Dartmouth College employee has tested positive for hantavirus, a
non-contagious but potentially fatal respiratory disease carried by
rodents, the College announced on Thu 30 Sep 2004. The male employee is
believed to have contracted the disease after a stay in a
Dartmouth-owned
cabin in the Second College Grant in late August. If it is confirmed
that
the patient has hantavirus, it will be the 1st such case in New
Hampshire,
and one of the few confirmed cases in New England. The New Hampshire
Department of Health and Human Services has not provided Dartmouth
College
with the man's name, according to Outdoor Programs director Andrew
Harvard.

Harvard declined to provide The Dartmouth with records detailing who
stayed

in the cabin during August.

The cabin where the patient stayed and 2 other cabins in the Hellgate
area
of the Grant have been closed for decontamination at the recommendation
of
the state's Public Health Department and the U.S. Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention. The patient had reported seeing mouse droppings
in
the cabin and touching a blanket with droppings on it. The cabin was in
use

when the suspected case of hantavirus was discovered, and the residents
were relocated on Wed 29 Sep 2004 to cabins south of the area.
Dartmouth
officials are currently contacting the approximately 350 people who
have
stayed in the cabins since they opened in May 2004. The cabins are
primarily used by Dartmouth alumni, employees and their guests, and it
has
been determined that no students stayed at the cabins during the
Dartmouth
Outing Club freshman trips in early September.

The virus is spread when the droppings, urine and saliva of infected
rodents are aerosolized and inhaled. The disease's primary carrier is
the
deer mouse, according to the CDC. Harvard said the Outing Club attempts
to
control rodent populations in cabins with poison, but that it is
difficult
to keep mice out of cabins. "As anyone with experience in the outdoors
knows, the tug of war between cabin users and mice is constant in the
outdoors," said Harvard.

The symptoms of hantavirus infection, which 1st appeared in the
southwest
United States in 1993, generally appear approximately 2 weeks after
contact

with the virus and can include fever, chills and vomiting. Extreme
cases of

the virus can escalate into hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, which may
result

in respiratory failure and death. No cure, vaccine, or treatment for
the
disease currently exist, but early referral to an intensive care unit
can
alleviate respiratory distress caused by the disease, according to the
CDC.

The next steps of the inquiry depend on the outcome of the CDC's
investigation, said Harvard, but an assessment of other cabins in the
Grant

is expected and Dartmouth will continue to work closely with State and
Federal Health Officials while monitoring the case. "We want to respond
very quickly to suggestions from the CDC and respond to needs of the
Dartmouth community," said Harvard. "Paramount concern is that there is
a
new health risk in the area and [we] want to manage it and control it."

Health officials say they don't expect an outbreak in New Hampshire.
"It's
a rare disease in the United States, and this is the 1st time its been
seen in the area," said Rachel Plotinsky, an epidemiologist for the New
Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services. "I wouldn't imagine
it's something we'll see too often."”

“Source: The Dartmouth online, Fri 1 Oct 2004

[url]http://www.thedartmouth.com/article.php?aid=2004100101010
[url]”

“[url]http://www.thedartmouth.com/article.php?aid=2004100101010
[url]”

“ugh..oh well”

“My guess is that the same thing can happen in a lean-to contaminated with rodent droppings.”

“Rats!!”

“a
non-contagious but potentially fatal respiratory disease carried "


Uh...how can he catch it if it aint contagious?”

“....by inhaling dried rat crap”

“I think they mean contagious b/w people...”

“Well, it's spreading more slowly than West Nile virus but I guess it really was just a matter of time.

Ya gotta love those zoonoses, don't you?”

“I never realized they were so dangerous. I'm glad I bought some more mice traps.


http://wildwnc.org/af/deermouse.html”

“Vicious little bastard!!”

“aww see thats why you need more coyotes around :)”

“Amen to that!”

“Owls are good, snakes dont eat as often.

Also helps to know the difference between coke and mouse crap before snorting.”

“Better yet, don't snort!”

“As long as you don't inhale”

“Dartmouth causes Hantavirus?”

“It's not hantavirus, but I got this information today. Another thing to be cautious of. LCMV stands for "lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus", a very common virus carried by rodents, particularly mice. As you can see from the CDC information below, as more is learned about this virus the more we recognize the devastating effects it can have on human health.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: cdc.gov]
Sent: Wednesday, May 14, 2008 9:57 AM
To:
Cc:
Subject: Heads-up and Info on LCMV after Transplant Death -- Boston

I really should have sent this to you yesterday (my apologies). We have had another LCMV transplant death in Boston. The Boston Public Health Commission is doing a significant about of outreach on this issue. Wanted to let you know as your Branches might get questions with the increase in press on this issue (see the news clips forwarded at the bottom).

By way of this email, I am providing you some language in case you need to respond to any inquiries on this issue.

As you recall, the main concern with LCMV is pregnant women (our exact wording includes):
LCMV infection during pregnancy can cause severe illness or developmental defects in the fetus. Women who are pregnant or who are planning to become pregnant should avoid contact with all rodents. Some of the following precautions can be taken to reduce the risk of acquiring LCMV infection during pregnancy:

To avoid contact with wild rodents, pregnant women who reside in a household with a wild rodent infestation should have the infestation controlled promptly by a professional pest control company or another member of the household.

To avoid contact with pet rodents, remove the pet rodents from the house or keep pet rodents in a separate part of the home. Pregnant women should ask another family member or friend to clean the cage and care for the pet or arrange for temporary adoption of the pet by a responsible person. Pregnant women should avoid any room where a rodent resides.

All of our rodent control information is available at www.cdc.gov/rodents.

For specific info on LCMV: http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvrd/spb/mnpages/dispages/lcmv.htm



Please feel free to share with any of your associates in the region and please let us know if you have any questions.



Regards,




Division of Viral and Rickettsial Diseases
National Center for Zoonotic, Vector-borne & Enteric Diseases
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention”

“Another reason not to sleep in shelters...”

“"Another reason not to sleep in shelters...”
"Another reason not to backpack...”
"Another reason not to do anything...”
"Another reason not to continue living...”
"Another reason ...””

“Nah, I just sleep in my tent NS.”

“Can you lock the tent zipper? Once a mouse used his head to force my tent's zipper open. Then, very quickly, he explored all around the tent including across the top and left before I could set my book down. It happened at campsite #13 in GSMNP.”

“CD.. And here I thought that it was my snoring that drove you into your tent at McAfee knob...

'fool”