However, the chances of this happening are extremely low. People who live in areas where the virus is present, and who come in close contact with the saliva, urine, droppings or nests of deer mice, may be at risk of catching the virus. Who is at risk of being exposed to the hantavirus? In North America, there is no evidence that the disease spreads from person to person. You cannot catch the disease from your domestic pet. In rare cases, it may be spread through small breaks in the skin when handling a wild mouse, or by mouse bites. Hantavirus is mainly spread when deer mouse droppings, urine, saliva, or nesting materials are disturbed, sending virus particles into the air where they can be breathed in. Other rodents, such as house mice, roof rats and Norway rats are not known to spread the virus. In Canada, the virus has been found only in wild mice, specifically the deer mouse found across North America. Some patients may be given anti-viral drugs. Most patients are admitted to intensive care in a hospital. There is no specific treatment, medication or cure however, many of the symptoms and complications of HPS can be treated. In North America, about 1 out of 3 people with HPS have died. If the disease gets worse, fluid builds up in your lungs, making it harder to breathe. In the early stage of the disease, you may have the following symptoms: Each year in B.C., only a couple of people report being ill with hantavirus. This rare disease was first identified in the southwestern United States in 1993 and in western Canada in 1994. Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) is a severe illness that is caused by a virus called hantavirus.
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