It was first identified in an outbreak in Westchester County in 1995. Since that time, several outbreaks of disease were traced to raspberries from Guatemala. Disease Control experts from the Westchester County Department of Health worked with the Centers for Disease Control epidemiologists to help track the disease source and bring the outbreaks under control. Hantavirus Hantavirus is a serious, often deadly, disease carried by rodents, such as mice, which are found throughout North America.
Infected rodents shed live virus in their saliva, droppings, and urine.
Humans become infected when they inhale microscopic particles that contain infected rodent urine, droppings, and saliva. The best way to prevent exposure to hantavirus is to avoid contact with rodents, rodent droppings, and urine. Dwellings with large amounts of rodent droppings should first be aired out while unoccupied. Before cleaning, rodent droppings should be thoroughly wet down with a household disinfectant solution to reduce formation of dust aerosols. The solution should be made up of one and one half cups of bleach to every gallon of water.